Tattoo weekend brings ink-credible crowd to Main Street
Emily Ash gives a customer ink on the tattoo weekend. Photos by Brandy Muz
Paul Trost hands out forms to customers to fill out before their tattoos.
Altaya Lincoln and Octavia Coward wait in line for their ink.
Octavia Coward, no stranger to the needle, shows off previous tattoos.
The line outside the shop.
Kyra Meadows just finishes her two Supernatural tattoos.
A big fan of the show Supernatural, Meadows shows off her fresh ink.
Emily Ash gives a customer ink on the tattoo weekend. Photos by Brandy Muz
Paul Trost hands out forms to customers to fill out before their tattoos.
Altaya Lincoln and Octavia Coward wait in line for their ink.
Octavia Coward, no stranger to the needle, shows off previous tattoos.
The line outside the shop.
Kyra Meadows just finishes her two Supernatural tattoos.
A big fan of the show Supernatural, Meadows shows off her fresh ink.
As hundreds of drivers buzzed past turning their heads, a line of eager people formed down Main Street.
The Grey Witches’ Gallery and Tattoo draws crowds three times a year with a $50 tattoo weekend. Customers can choose from a variety of tattoos from the shops Facebook page and take their spot in the winding line.
Owner and artist Jess Braley has been tattooing since 2009 and brought her shop to Wareham in 2023. She said she loves the location and is excited for the future of Main Street.
"We love downtown Wareham," she said. "We love the village — figured it was a great spot. Lots of foot traffic and I think it's an area that is experiencing a lot of good growth in the last few years."
Braley said that having so many people wait outside can be anxiety-inducing sometimes, but that she loves seeing the community come out.
"One time I went out and they clapped for me, which was bizarre but fun," she said. "It's good to feel welcome, it's good to feel loved in a town like this."
From working on one tattoo for 12 hours, to her craziest tattoo being something she, "can't tell the newspaper," Braley has seen it all. But, colorful tattoos are her favorite to do.
"New school or new traditional color, anything like that with color involved," she said.
As artists, apprentices and volunteers were hard at work the line outside the shop grew. Two out of the dozens of excited customers Friday, Aug. 22 were Altaya Lincoln and Octavia Coward who came from New Bedford.
Lincoln was going to get a ghost and planet tattoo and was visiting the shop for the first time.
"I have two tattoos already," she said. "I'm excited to get fun tattoos, mine are all sentimental."
Coward has visited the shop before, getting inked for a previous tattoo weekend. She said she was happy to stick to a local shop and would be getting a Twilight tattoo and a SpongeBob character.
"I like finding the places that feel like a community," Coward said. "I like getting to talk to people that pass by and the people inside — they're also really nice."
Besides the environment, Braley compared the act of getting a tattoo to customizing your video game character.
"Have fun, character customization has always been a great thing," she said.
The Grey Witches’ Gallery and Tattoo will be offering their $50 tattoos from Friday, Aug. 22 to Sunday Aug. 24 from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
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