The Whitby Goth Weekend is a twice yearly event (April and October) which was founded by Jo Hampshire in 1994. What started primarily as a single weekend with a gothic theme, with Whitby possibly chosen because of its Dracula connections, it has now grown into a huge event. The whole town is invaded by goths, punks, steampunks, emos, bikers, metallers and people from many other genres - they are a friendly bunch, old and young alike, who like to dress in their gothic costumes and parade the streets or attend different events around Whitby. These include fairs, markets, even charity football matches!