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Embrace the spirit of Poe as you don your most haunting attire or period dress and POErade with fellow Poe fans. Enter the competition, or simply join the procession through festival grounds. FREE!
The historic Lord Baltimore Hotel is the official hotel and sponsor for Poe Fest International. Use our link to book special festival rates!
Baltimore's own RAVENBEER in a special RAVENBEER GARDEN! Must be 21+ to enter. 100% ID check.
Poe-themed art, booksellers, and more!
The Murder Mystery Company and actor Stephen Smith present special games and performances all day Saturday & Sunday. Purchase entry at the tent or pick up the Red Masque Festival Pass for both!
As though stepping out of the very pages of a Poe story, don your most haunting attire and parade though festival grounds. Meet the judges and see the description below. The contest is FREE to enter!
Ward away that Red Death hangover at a special bloody brunch. Marys and Marias available for purchase, 21+ only. Includes a bloody toast to Edgar Allan Poe! Included in the Red Masque Festival Pass.
Our festival open will feature a special welcome to attendees for the 6th annual International Edgar Allan Poe Festival, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony to reconize our newest festival sponsors, Wells Fargo.
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!
Dan Meyer Choir
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 it’s Baltimorgue concert. Baltimorgue is 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.
Empressa Ensemble
The Empressa Ensemble will present music and poetry related to Edgar Allan Poe. Hear some of Poe's most iconic poems set to exquisite and haunting music! Explore 19th-century marriage anxiety in humorous song! Delve into the dark as Halloween takes over the stage! Elissa Edwards is a critically acclaimed singer, specializing in vocal chamber music. Her seductive soprano voice has been featured in recordings and concert appearances on both sides of the Atlantic.
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.
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. PLUS: did you see Austrian singers Teya and Salena's entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2023? Did you know there's a dance? Ballet Embody will teach YOU the moves from the "Who the Hell Is Edgar?" music video.
The "Queen of Baltimore Soul." From her website: "For 32 years, Ursula Ricks has been holdin' court with her unique, spellbinding vocals, unique for it's range, energy, and depth her vocal grabs you by your heart and shake's loose what you don't need, leaving you with a well being in your soul that compels you to discover the Ursula Ricks beyond the entertainer. And if you do so, you'll find just that.....Ursula Ricks, unapologetic, opinionated, big-hearted, and most importantly, authentic."
As though stepping out of the very pages of a Poe story, you have doned 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 as we close Day 1 of Poe Fest International!
Sign up to enter! Contestants meet behind the Main Stage for check-in and pre-judging at 2:45. Meet the judges:
Woman of Wonders has been cosplaying since 2009. She enjoys cosplaying as female protagonists like Wonder Woman (Amor), Aveline de Grandpre (Assassins Creed), and Metroid’s Samus (Gravity Suit). But what she loves most about cosplay is building the costumes and sharing her process. Her costume commissions with Woman of Wonders (WOW) Custom Designs have assembled over 60 costumes for herself, family, friends and referred clients. In 2022, she and her husband combined their talents to form Pics and Patterns, LLC, a photography and costume making service.
Bishop Cosplay has been cosplaying since 2009. He has cosplayed many unique characters such as Bishop from The X-men (thus his moniker), Superman and recently Dr. Voodoo. He enjoys cosplay because it enables him to breathe life into characters that don’t always get the same amount of attention that many mainstream ones get. He also specializes in photography, especially cosplay photography. His work has been featured at the Reginald Lewis Museum in Baltimore, Star Wars Insider Magazine and recently he became the first Black cosplayer and photographer to have his work of other cosplayers published internationally in Men’s Health Magazine.
Wordsmith will take the audience through a days’ worth of blue-collar trials and triumphs common to all walks of life. Storytelling will be on full display as he weaves tales of living life check to check, the joy of promotions, displaying brilliance, losing faith, filling voids and keeping promises. Wordsmith is a songwriter, performer, entrepreneur and philanthropist from Baltimore, MD. In 2009 he opened his independent label NU Revolution Entertainment followed by his nonprofit, Rise with a Purpose, Inc. in 2020.
Kristin Ostling has been a featured soloist with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, and has enjoyed chamber music roles with a roster that includes Pinchas Zukerman, Ralph Kirschbaum, and The Baltimore Symphony’s concertmaster, Jonathan Carney. In addition to playing the traditional classical repertoire, Kristin is also one of a growing number of cellists exploring the genre of rock cello. She was a member of the heavy metal cello band Primitivity, and is an honorary member of The Sofa Kings of Pittsburgh. She can also be heard on the rock album “Southern Barber Supply” by the Cashmere Jungle Lords.
A selection of songs from the touring musical 'Edgar Allan & Eddie Poe,' inspired by the youth and writing of Edgar Allan Poe. Katie Hartman as Eddie Poe & Nick Ryan as Edgar Allan. The Coldharts is a touring theater company based in Brooklyn, NY creating minimalist musicals inspired by the American Gothic. 2019 Saturday 'Visiter' Awards Nominee
Poe’s Magic Theater’s Vince Wilson is a Master Hypnotist, skilled mentalist and illusionist with over two decades of experience and a lifetime of interest in magic, myth and history. He specializes in hypnosis, mentalism and storytelling magic.
Celtic Rock and loads mair! Poehemia has been shaped by the hard rocking traditions of Baltimore and the thriving music scene in Glasgow. Since 2012 Poehemia has performed hundreds of high-energy electric and acoustic shows at pubs, wineries, breweries, festivals, and special events throughout the Mid-Atlantic region.
Returning for a fourth 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.
Artway Alliance
Charm City Ghostbusters
Murals of Baltimore
Poverty Ridge Brothers Fine Funerary Services
Center/West
Wells Fargo
AishaVoya Creations
Bardstone Publishing
Capie Creative
Crafts 2 Much
Death Comes Lifting
Frightreads
Firesighted: The Art of Ashley Bryner
Hoops and Horror
Kat Art LLC
Man Crafting
Man Fish Inc.
Kurenai Kiba
Michelle Ink Designs
Michelle Jabes Corpora: Author
Red Stylo Media
Renewal By Anderson
Snug Books
The Six Degrees of Edgar Allan Poe
The Wicked Ghost
WitheringInks
The Art of Adrianne D
Amira Ahmad
A. A. Rubin
Diane Frisch
Richard Collins Davis
Brandon Vaughn
J. Aldric Gaudet
Markiewitz Audioworks
Holly Michele
John Speredakos
Poe Movies
Phyto Stratis
PAST WINNERS:
Love Letters to Poe
Poe For Your Problems
Stephen Smith as "One Man Poe"
*Includes only nominees vending festival weekend. See the full list of nominees.
Edgar Allan Poe House & Museum
The Poe Museum (Richmond)
The Poe Cottage (Bronx County Historical Society)
The Edgar Allan Poe Society of Baltimore
Poe's Magic Theatre
The National Edgar Allan Poe Theatre
National Cryptologic Museum
Friends of Lafayette
Enoch Pratt Free Library
The Peale Museum
Baltimore Science Fiction Society
Virtual, Zoom Registration
Topic TBA. More details.
Virtual, Zoom Registration
Westminster Hall & Burying Ground, 519. W Fayette St.
Two exhibits will be on display at the historic Westminster Hall & Burying Ground, just steps from Poe's final resting place. Both are inclu...
Westminster Hall & Burying Ground, 519. W Fayette St.
Harbor East Cinemas, 645 S. President Street
Join The National Edgar Allan Poe Theatre and fellow Poe fans at a special screening to kick-off The International Poe Festival weekend!
The...
Harbor East Cinemas, 645 S. President Street
Westminster Hall & Burying Ground, 519. W Fayette St.
The official party of Poe Fest International! A POE-rom Night to remember. Dance the night away to the haunting beats of our DJs, and get re...
Westminster Hall & Burying Ground, 519. W Fayette St.
Poe’s Magic Theater at the Lord Baltimore Hotel, 20 W. Baltimore St. Mezzanine, doors open at 11:30 PM
Enjoy Magic and Mystery at The Lord Baltimore Hotel, where shadows dance and secrets await. Beyond the veil, Poe's Magic Theatre unfolds a ...
Poe’s Magic Theater at the Lord Baltimore Hotel, 20 W. Baltimore St. Mezzanine, doors open at 11:30 PM