Each May, just as the mist rolls in from the sea, a strange town appears overnight in Asbury Park. No one sees it being built, but there it stands—*Cryptid Commons*, glowing faintly with otherworldly light. Locals whisper it only reveals itself to those who believe in magic.

The first saturday in May the 600 block of Mattison Avenue sees musicians fill the air with haunting melodies as storytellers gather crowds with tales of lost spirits and forgotten beasts. At the edge of the commons lies *The Pod Barrens*, where podcasters, both famous and obscure, sit in circles chatting with fans about ghosts, legends, and strange phenomena.

Just beyond, a winding path leads to *Seer’s Valley*, where psychics read palms and whisper secrets of the future with unnerving accuracy. Candles flicker, and time seems to bend in their tents.

In *The Fable Factory*, artists and writers feverishly craft stories, sketching out the next generation of folklore as if guided by unseen hands.

The heart of town is *The Village Market*, where one can buy bottles of captured moonlight, potions labeled only in symbols, and handmade treasures that seem to hum with energy.

It all culminates in the *March of the Cryptids*, a magical parade where pets and people alike don their strangest attire. Prizes are awarded for the best-dressed, and mysterious creature sightings offer unforgettable photo ops.