In a crowded Gage Park Sunday afternoon, it wasn't difficult to spot Adam Gore, organizer of Hamilton's first annual Goth picnic.

Strutting in a pair of 20-hole Dr. Martens, Gore was seen in a Lip Service shirt and strappy Trapp pants. Leather bracelets with metal spikes and a pair of futuristic, cyborg-looking sunglasses were among the conspicuous accessories.

"They don't provide the best sun coverage, but they look damn cool," Gore said of his signature eyepiece.

Gore and his girlfriend, both from Hamilton, came up with the idea of a picnic in Gage Park after attending a similar event in Toronto. Word quickly spread on social media, with more than 400 people indicating on Facebook that they would attend.

However, only a few dozen of them showed up for the picnic. They occupied a small section in the park marked by black balloons tied to branches, and their picnic music was quickly drowned out by the festivities of the weekend-long Francofest on the other side of the park.

But Gore didn't mind.

"I just got 10 new friends," he said.

The inaugural picnic drew a small group of Gothic culture enthusiasts to Gage Park. (Sunnie Huang/CBC)

Hamilton not so Goth-friendly

Compared to Toronto, Gore said, Hamilton isn't very accepting of the Goth culture, which he defines as anything alternative or dark.

While walking down Toronto's Queen Street in full makeup and looking like "a military general that crawled out of the depth of hell," Gore said he often gets complimented on his outfit.

"If I were to do that in Hamilton, I'd probably get beat up," he said.

The dirty looks and the stares come with the lifestyle, said a group of Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School students who showed up in all black for the picnic. But they are proud of who they are.

"Even if people don't like it, you know that's the way you are," said Kelsey, 14, who didn't want to give her last name. "I don't care what you think. I have my own confidence."

Misconceptions

The young Goths said they want the mainstream culture to know that the stereotypes associated with their lifestyle — Satan worship, sacrifice, baby killing, just to name a few — are simply not true.

"The morbid stuff is just not us," said Jessica Powell-Smith, 17.

And that's one of the goals of the inaugural picnic, Gore said.

"Every single person I've ever met that is somewhat Gothic is the most down-to-earth, awesome person," he said.

Many in the community are artists — musicians, painters, poets — who like to express their creativity through their lifestyle, Gore said. For example, Gothic fashion enthusiasts often hunt down pieces and combine them into new outfits.

"It's a very artistic, stylistic lifestyle," he said.

Gore himself is a performer and goes by Adam Gore aka Psygore rather than his real name, which he did not want to use for this article.

After an unofficial launch this year, Gore said he is planning to continue th event next year. Everyone is welcome to attend the picnic, with or without black lipstick.

"We are all friendly, even though we look scary," he said.