Festival Program

The 9th Annual International Edgar Allan Poe Festival opens with a lively welcome on our Main Stage, celebrating the 185th anniversary of The Murders in the Rue Morgue and commemorating the 177th anniversary 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 off a weekend of music, art, books, performances, and Poe-inspired mischief. This year, the festival makes its temporary home at historic Lexington Market, just one block from Poe’s grave at Westminster Hall. Nevermore is not enough—your support helps Stand Guard for Poe House as demolition continues around the historic 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.

Dan Wallace and The 11th Hour formed spontaneously for a last-minute gig, revealing unexpected musical chemistry that now regularly captivates Baltimore audiences. Led by saxophonist Dan Wallace, this psychedelic jam band uses their highly honed improvisational skills to create an entirely new musical experience at every performance. This quartet draws inspiration from Snarky Puppy, Billy Cobham, Kung Fu, John Scofield, and The Greyboy Allstars. The 11th Hour has maintained a monthly residency at Baltimore's renowned Cat's Eye Pub since 2023, where these accomplished professional musicians leave nothing on the table.

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. 

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.

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 2:00. 

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. 

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!"

HAEZL is a Washington, D.C.-based dark pop and electronic artist blending haunting vocals, pulsing synths, and cinematic soundscapes with a background in classical and operatic performance. Her music moves through darkwave, synthpop, and experimental pop, exploring identity, memory, healing, and the space where darkness and beauty meet. 

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. 

Old Eastern is a gritty, Baltimore whiskey rock band with a stripped-down southern rock style blended with a mix of modern blues and funk. Brendan Clarke (bass) and Mike Smith (drums), round out a rhythm section that creates a wall of sound at the heart of each and every song. Nick Volk (vocals, rhythm guitar) adds a gritty and powerful vocal performance to match the growl of his oft distorted guitar.  With Terry McGill (Harp) blasting away at the harmonica and screaming vocals at the top of his lungs.  

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.