Goths To Fill Parsippany Hotel For 'Dark Force' Music Festival

PARSIPPANY, NJ — With several venues for major events and conventions, Parsippany can attract some interesting guests. The upcoming spring will be no exception, when goths pack the Sheraton Parsippany Hotel for "Dark Force Fest."

The three-day music festival will feature more than 30 of the "top international gothic and industrial bands," according to VampireFreaks, the company running the event. Hotel space sold out within days of announcing the festival, meaning the Sheraton's 370 rooms and 44,000 square feet of event space will get pretty goth-heavy from March 31 to April 2.

Performers will include some of the top industrial, goth, metal and dark-alternative bands around the world, says VampireFreaks. Dark Force Fest will also feature vendors, club events, a costume contest, sideshow performers and panels.

For a glimpse at what that might look like, check out footage from the last VampireFreaks event — Dark Side of the Con 2022:

The goth subculture has been around for decades, with occasional resurgences along the way. Several businesses have observed sales on goth-oriented fashion surging in recent years. The Guardian noted major celebrities promoting aspects of the style, from Selena Gomez to Kourtney Kardashian to Blink-182's Travis Barker.

"Goth is intrinsically tied up with the past returning," Professor Catherine Spooner, of Lancaster University, told The Guardian last year. "Flirting with goth is a perfect way for celebrities safely to give their identity an edge."

Here's more info on Dark Force Fest.