The Moonlight Gypsy Market is no one’s idea of normal.

The Moonlight Gypsy Market, created by Mux Blank (pictured), includes many strange and curious things with its performances and crafts. RANDY SCHAFER/Staff

Created by the founder of the Carnival of Black Hearts, Mux Blank said that it caters to the “outsider, erotic, macabre, weird, dark, odd and all things far from the ordinary.”

Between theatrical circus performances and macabre arts and crafts, Blank is pulling in entertainers and vendors from each dark corner he can find.

But to fully understand what this event encompasses, it’s imperative to comprehend who Mux Blank is.

Growing up in Lawrenceville, he worked with his father, who owned a business fixing motors, which is where Blank’s business and do-it-yourself mind-set came into fruition.

He started the Black Hearts in Athens six years ago, with the intention of finding like-minded people to perform 1930s freak show-esque entertainment.

“We’re all playing characters in that,” Blank said. “Like I’m playing Mr. Blank, that’s me. Mr. Blank’s becoming me more and more and living in a school bus, I fit the part.”

Blank garnered much of his inspiration from the HBO series, “Carnivále,” which featured a traveling circus during the Dust Bowl.

“Starting the carnival, I wanted to bring that stuff back,” he said. “I’m watching that show and I was thinking, ‘I could do this.’”

In researching freak shows, he also became infatuated with the concept of people that are societally branded as “freaks” and “outcasts” getting a taste of normalcy and belonging.

“That’s kind of a part of my show and I try to incorporate that into it,” he said. “I’m not going for evil and although I wear a skull-face when I perform, I just like the whole Day of the Dead theme.”

Along the same theme, Blank encouraged his brother — who’s bound to a wheelchair — to perform a dark, hip-hop styled poetry in the same freak show fashion for a couple of shows.

Referring to his brother as “Half-Dead Boy,” Blank designed pants that looked as if his brother had crawled out of a grave and painted his legs to appear decayed and rotting.

“So he wheeled up there and I introduced him: ‘Our next act I must warn you, because this act may disgust you, you’re going to be grossed out by this,’” Blank said. “And then I’d say, ‘Now introducing, Half-Dead Boy.’”

His evangelistic sideshow introduction appeared to be cruel in nature — but appearances are deceiving.

“And he’d wheel out there all silent and open this big book and just recite poetry,” Blank said. “Then he closes it and he wheels off and everybody just stood there in awe. Then it just went insane with applause and that was probably one of the most applauded acts we’ve done.”

After the show, his brother described it as one of the most amazing experiences he’s had — and that’s just an example of Blank’s exaggerated cartoon perspective of his carnival.

Blank’s right-hand man, so to speak, Susan St. Charles — or Madame Surayyah — has been a part of the carnival since its birth and helps construct the market.

She likes the idea of the “olden-days” market place that used to be a social gathering, but adds a little twist.

“It’s all in the same vein of the gypsy scene that’s kind of turned macabre,” St. Charles said. “Since we’re in the Halloween season, it definitely has a darker edge.”

Just as Blank is immersed in theatrics, the belly dancer and co-promoter feels at home in the mysterious and enigmatic scene — and hopes others will as well.

“It’s all things that mesmerize or intrigue and pull you in,” St. Charles said. “It’s the perfect marriage for us of the dark arts that we practice and the darker and more macabre things that people collect and make.”

And in harmony with this motif is the Greenville-based band, Din of Thieves.

Playing into the same theatrics as the Black Hearts, the band is vocally driven, telling vivid stories, and lead singer Caleb Riley describes its music as “theatrical goth-rock, cabaret and pirate-jazz.”

Along the same lines of the weird and experimental is artist and vendor Rakan Smith. Some of his work is abstract or representational, bordering the erotic.

Including additional erotic and abstract pieces of art, Blank and St. Charles will also be performing, adding an even more poignant edge.

And in keeping with Blank’s experimental vision, he offers perspective through a different lens.

“I love storytelling … and that’s a huge part of this … and I’m living a story in front of you,” he said. “It’s my way of giving people something they don’t see everyday, you know, they’re brought into a whole new world.”

2nd ANNUAL MOONLIGHT GYPSY MARKET

Where: Little Kings

When: 6 p.m.

Price: Free

Performing: Who to Look Out For

Mr. Blanks Weird and Wandering Sideshow: Shocking physical tricks such as his “human blockhead” and snorting BB’s, popping them out of his eye socket, as well as other tests of his body’s limits in theatrical style.

Captain & The Fatal Farmers: Fire performances, including poi fire tossing and more.

Triangle Fire: Local punk, ska and rockabilly band that crosses multiple punk genres and is playing its second live show.

The Subliminator: Atlanta poet, performing psychedelic spoken word.

Vendors:

Rachel Cabaniss & Deanna Maxwell: Rachel is a painter and embroiderer who models old country music stars as her subjects.  Deanna uses found and recycled items to make “outsider art” and makes handbags and jewelry.

Cynthia Pendley: Illustrator and designer that features her own comic book-style of nude and scantily clad women in her art.

Crystal McElhannon: Psychic and tarot card reader, McElhannon has been reading tarot cards for 16 years and professionally giving readings for 10 of them.

Mux Blank: Makes candle lanterns out of used food cans and has his own line of stuffed animals, paintings and sculptures.