2024 International Edgar Allan Poe Festival & Awards

This year we commemorate two very special anniversaries: the 175th Anniversary of Edgar Allan Poe’s Death in Baltimore in 1849 and the 75th Anniversary of The Edgar Allan Poe House & Museum established in 1949. Join us festival weekend for three days of programs, exhibits, and of course the street festival just outside Poe's chamber door at the Edgar Allan Poe House & Museum in Baltimore!

Poe Fest International is a free, family-friendly weekend of events featuring Edgar Allan Poe-themed performances, art, vendors and food, celebrating Poe’s life, works and his influence in the arts.

The street festival takes place at , in the newly-built “Poe Park” at Center/West. Additional exhibits, tours, and programs at several locations in Baltimore City, October 4-6.The festival includes Poe-themed performances, vendors, booksellers and music, plus family-friendly activities, poetry and art. Attendees will also get to learn about Poe’s life and works from some of the United States’ preeminent “Poe Places”, with representatives from The Edgar Allan Poe House & Museum (Baltimore), The Poe Museum (Richmond, Virginia), The Poe Cottage (Bronx Historical Society, NYC), and The Edgar Allan Poe Society of Baltimore. General Admission to Poe Fest International is FREE. The winners of the 2024 Saturday 'Visiter' Awards will also be announced festival weekend!

Tours inside the Edgar Allan Poe House and additional exhibits at Westminster Hall & Carroll Mansion are not included as part of the general festival program and require paid tickets. To be sure you get in to see these precious landmarks,

**The Edgar Allan Poe House & Museum**

Crowds will gather at the International Edgar Allan Poe Festival and Poe House will only be open to visitors for timed-ticket tours. Your ticket entitles you to entry and includes a tour of the historic Edgar Allan Poe House. Additional souvenir brochure with Mobile App and Cell Phone guide to "Poe's Baltimore" available.

Explore the enduring mystery surrounding Poe’s tragic death on a special Death Weekend Live Virtual Tour of Poe’s Baltimore. The 2-hour tour ticket includes stops at four important Poe Places around Baltimore, including the sites where Poe was found and passed away, Poe’s graves at Westminster Hall & Burial Ground, and scenes from a special re-enactment of Edgar Allan Poe's first funeral. This ticket also includes access to our NEW "Poe in Comics" and "Poe Death Exhibits" inside Westminster Hall! NOTE: Death and funeral imagery (including body in an open casket), may not be suitable for young children. Viewer discretion advised.

**The Red Masque Festival Pass**

Prince Prospero himself can't keep you out of these exclusive experiences festival weekend! The Red Masque Festival Pass includes special entry to 3 VIP tents on festival grounds, plus entry to Westminster Hall & Carroll Mansion:

T he M**der Mystery Company Presents: Midnight at the Masquerade
Enter the the Billionaires’ Club Masquerade Lounge and help get this soiree back on track by trading clues with your guests, gathering information, and solving the crime before the masked menace gets away! M**der Mystery Company will stage 4 games festival weekend, both Saturday & Sunday at the festival!

S tephen Smith is "One Man Poe"
Direct from London and a 2022 Saturday 'Visiter' Award winner, actor Stephen Smith will stage a special and intimate performance of some of Edgar Allan Poe's most hanting tales during his "One Man Poe" shows, Saturday & Sunday at Poe Fest International.

B loody Mary Brunch With Poe
Ward away that Red Death hangover at a special bloody brunch with Poe at the festival Sunday, 11AM to 1PM. Your wristband gets you one virgin version; Marys and Marias available for purchase, 21+ only. Includes a bloody toast to the man himself, Edgar Allan Poe!

The "Poe, Revolution, & the Marquis de Lafayette" & Poe Death Exhibits at Westminster Hall and Carroll Mansion.

S ee the description above for details. Pay at the door, or purchase a Red Masque Festival Pass to enter all!

**The Black Cat Ball: 75th Anniversary Diamond Gala & Gothic 1840s Dance Party**

The Black Cat Ball is the Official Party of the International Edgar Allan Poe Festival & Awards. This year’s Black Cat Ball is a 75th Anniversary Diamond Gala & Gothic 1840s Dance Party, featuring after-hours access to the “Poe Death Exhibit" at Carroll Mansion and a cognac toast to Edgar Allan Poe! Your most glamorous and gothic 1840s or 1940s dress encouraged.Tickets are all-inclusive for food, beer/ wine, and entertainment. Dress to impress to walk our Gothic Red Carpet and pose for Poe Prom photos!!The evening's entertainment includes:The evening's entertainment includes:
• Private Viewing & Reception including the "Poe Death Exhibit" at Carroll Mansion
• Winners of the 2024 Saturday 'Visiter' Awards, presented by writer Mark Dawidziak.
• 1840s Cabaret Dance Party
• Cognac Toast to Edgar Allan PoeThis party is 21+ over restricted; 100% ID Check!There's more!

**Vincent Price Movie Night & Poe House 75th Anniversary Reception***

Join us festival eve, October 4, at a special kick-off reception and MOVIE NITE in the glorious and newly-opened M&T Bank Exchange Theatre at France-Merrick Performing Arts Center. This extraordinary evening includes two panel discussions with special guests Victoria Price, author and daughter of Vincent Price, and Michael Connelly, bestselling author of The Lincoln Lawyer and the Hieronymus Bosch detective series. Q&A followed by a 60th Anniversary screening of Roger Corman’s 1964 horror classic, “Edgar Allan Poe’s Masque of the Red Death” starring Vincent Price.General Admission includes both panels and film screening, plus an exclusive first look at a new documentary exploring the enduring mystery of Edgar Allan Poe’s death in Baltimore, directed by Michael Connelly and based on the Poe biography by Saturday ‘Visiter’ Awards guest-of-honor, Mark Dawidziak. VIP ticket includes bar reception, preferred seating, and Limited Edition souvenir anniversary poster to commemorate an unforgettable night.

**Poe Cemetery Tour and “The Poe, Revolution & the Marquis De Lafayatte” Exhibit at Westminster Hall**

Living history performers via mobile app will guide you on a tour of the famed Burying Ground at Westminster Hall, the final resting place of Edgar Allan Poe. Visit the grave and monument where Poe was buried no fewer than three times! Pay tribute to David and Elizabeth Cairnes Poe, and other members of the Poe family, who repose alongside other great Revolutionary War and War of 1812 heroes. See the graves of General Samuel Smith, Brigadier General John Smith, Rev. Patrick Allison, and other great figures in the rich tapestry of Baltimore's past. Engage with new interpretive signage and virtual resources, deepening your understanding of the Poe family's Revolutionary War patriotism and legacy. Join us as we prepare for Maryland 250 and United States' Semiquincentennial celebrations and journey through the past, present, and future of Baltimore's revolutionary spirit.

Inside Westminster Hall, discover the remarkable connection between Edgar Allan Poe and the great Marquis de Lafayette as we celebrate the Bicentennial of Lafayette's Farewell Tour. A life-sized diorama and historical exhibit inside Westminster Hall will transport you through pivotal moments in American history, shedding light on forgotten heroes, showcasing the Poe family's profound contributions to the founding of the nation, and later their grandson's writing fame which revolutionized literature forever.

**The Poe Death Exhibit and Ghastly Galentine Festival Pop-Up Shop at Carroll Mansion**

An interactive art installation at the historic Carroll Mansion, where Poe's body and casket will lie in state in a re-enactment of the dark and somber day Poe was laid to rest. Tour the various conspiracies that plague Poe's legacy and learn how the very clothes he wore offer clues to his mysterious death. Pay your respects at a special candle-light vigil for the master of horror and mystery. Additional vendors and the Poe Festival pop-up shop also on site!

NOTE: Death and funeral imagery (including body in an open casket), may not be suitable for young children. Viewer discretion advised. This exhibit takes place at location away from Festival Grounds; limited street parking and garage parking is available. This is a ticketed event; timed entry guarantees admission.

The International Edgar Allan Poe Festival & Awards is made possible by sponsorship, programs and volunteers by Poe Baltimore, Wells Fargo, La Cite LLC & Center/West, The Lord Baltimore Hotel, Poe's Magic Theater, Westminster Hall & Burying Ground, The Poe Museum (Richmond), The Enoch Pratt Free Library, The Bronx County Historical Society/ Poe Cottage at Fordham, The Maryland Women's Heritage Center, The Society of Sons of the Revolution in the State of Maryland, RavenBeer and many others. All proceeds benefit The Edgar Allan Poe House & Museum in Baltimore!

Host or Publisher Poe Baltimore & National Edgar Allan Poe Theatre