Festival Program

The 8th Annual International Edgar Allan Poe Festival opens with a lively welcome on our Main Stage, commemorating the 180th anniversary of The Raven and the 176th of Poe’s death in Baltimore. Join Mr. Baltimore himself , Chris Riehl, with our fowl friend and YouTube sensation, Chad the Bird, as your hosts. Dance Baltimore kicks things off with a thrilling twist on the famous “Wednesday” dance. Plus—be among the first to check out the new outdoor gallery at Poe House and see plans for its bold expansion!  Nevermore is not enough—your support ensures Poe’s story lives on in a world-class museum. 

Chris Rhiel, Master of Ceremonies

Chris Riehl is a Baltimore tour guide, emcee, and entertainer. As the owner of Rent-A-Tour (www.rentatour.com) since 2007 he has had the privilege of showcasing Charm City for thousands of visitors from around the world. He has emceed events like the Maryland Tourism Coalition Awards Banquet, hosted video productions for the Baltimore Tourism Association and the Greater Baltimore History Alliance, and performed for Silhouette Stages and the Baltimore Orioles. He has personally led dozens of tours for Poe Baltimore, both in person and virtually and is excited to be a part of Poe Fest International 2023!

Chad The Bird

Chad the Bird reports his findings on humanity every week on the social medias and live in your face cuz you're worth it. He has a weekly birdcast and cohosts a monthly horror stream on Youtube called Streaming N' Screaming over on Horror101 with Dr. AC. So far top hits of humanity include: Mozzarella sticks, science and pinball.

Dance Baltimore

Dance Baltimore is an arts service organization for the city's professional dance community. Classes and workshops are also offered to the general public in the metropolitan area.

 From Baltimore, Skydivers perform atmospheric post-punk that blends soaring anthems with swirling, dreamlike soundscapes. Their music moves between shimmering intensity and gothic darkwave moods, creating an immersive experience that showers eager ears with sonic bliss. 

Maryland's premiere dance project dedicated to representing narratives  and original ideas through the tangible and visible art form of dance.  Founded in 2019, Ballet Embody perform both classical and contemporary ballet with the intention of  entertaining, educating, and inspiring audiences in the Greater Baltimore region. Ballet dancers will interpret Edgar Allan Poe stories. 

Our feathered friend takes the stage solo for a one-of-a-kind comedy set, blending sharp wit with Poe-inspired mischief. From The Raven to Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar and other milestone anniversaries, Chad the Bird delivers a hilarious and heartfelt tribute to Edgar Allan Poe—equal parts satire, celebration, and squawking good fun. 

MC Lars is a pioneering nerdcore rapper and “lit-hop” artist, blending hip-hop with literature, pop culture, and sharp social commentary. Over the past two decades he has built a worldwide fanbase, touring across North America, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan. His performances have lit up stages from Carnegie Hall to San Diego Comic-Con, South by Southwest, and the Vans Warped Tour, alongside artists like “Weird Al” Yankovic, Bowling for Soup, T-Pain, and Snoop Dogg. Featured by CNN, NPR, MTV, Rolling Stone and SPIN, Lars also brings his unique style into classrooms and TEDx talks, connecting Shakespeare to hip-hop and inspiring new generations. 

As though stepping out of the very pages of a Poe story, you have donned your most haunting attire and now it's time to POErade. The costume parade will begin at the main stage then move through festival grounds. Sign up to enter! Contestants meet behind the Main Stage for check-in and pre-judging at 1:30. 

Charlottesville VA trio Please Don’t Tell—led by songwriter, pianist, and vocalist Christina Fleming with Nicole Rimel (cello, vocals) and Anna Hennessy (violin, vocals)—blend folk witchery, gothic chamber sounds, and dark humor into a haunting mix of operatic vocals, percussive piano, and acoustic strings. Their songs channel extraordinary women, personal meditations, and sharp black comedy, equal parts heartbreak and defiance. Veterans of both punk dives and the Kennedy Center, the band released their debut six-song EP in March 2024, delivering a spellbinding set of eerie, off-kilter ballads that linger long after the last note. 

The Dan Meyer Choir is Baltimore’s most original community choir, presenting locally sourced choral music celebrating the history and traditions of Baltimore. Every October the Dan Meyer Choir performs its Baltimorgue concert, a collection of choral stories about folks who have died in Baltimore over the centuries. Changing from year to year, Baltimorgue has become a Halloween tradition since 2009. 

Gallagher's Frolics are four players of Traditional Irish Music in and around Baltimore, Maryland. Formed in 2023 to provide live music for the Irish Dance group Tir Na nOg at the Southern Maryland Celtic Festival, they present an eclectic mix of energetic tunes and moving, richly layered songs straight from the Poe family's Irish roots. "Kiss me, I WAS Irish!"

 In honor of the 180th anniversary of The Raven, Big Whimsy’s Corvid Drum Corp takes flight with a raucous corvid party of pounding drums, wild rhythm, and feathered revelry. Hailing from a troupe of eclectic performers known for their stilt walkers, dancers, and interactive street theater, the Corvid Drum Corp brings their talents together in a cacophony of sound and spectacle. Part parade, part performance, this murder of musicians conjures Poe’s most famous bird with every beat—celebrating “Nevermore” like never before. 

Throw The Stray Cats in a wood chipper with the cast of The Munsters and you get Mr. Fang & the Dark Tones, an all original Horror Punk, Rockabilly, Graveyard Goth Rock Band. Their songs reflect all that is cool and spooky in this world with songs titles such as "Evil, Movie Monster, Haunted Hearse. Green Woman From Outer Space and Mr Fang!". These high energy Rock-N-Roll Monsters are sure to captivate your audience and bring them a super spooktacular show experience from beyond the grave!

Sean Hunter brings Edgar Allan Poe’s chilling tale The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar to life in a gripping one-man stage performance. With intensity and theatrical flair, he conjures the horror of mesmerism at the edge of death, offering audiences an unforgettable encounter with one of Poe’s most macabre works. 

The Ultra Kings are a Roots Rock and Roll/ Rockabilly band based out of the Lehigh Valley area in Pennsylvania, established in 2000. Rick Kuebler plays lead guitar and lead vocals, Carl Ehst provides the back beat on drums and backup vocals; the band is rounded off with Rich Freese on the stand-up bass and backup vocals. 

A tradition hailing from our very first year, The Baltimore City Pipe Band will honor Poe’s Death Weekend and close the festival. The bagpipe and drum corps is a non-competing band made of private individuals dedicated to the enjoyment and preservation of Scottish Bagpipe music. The band performs at a variety of events to include parades, dances, charitable and social functions, and community festivals in Baltimore and throughout Maryland.