Ravens, casks and walled-up ex-friends — pour a glass of sherry (perhaps skip the Amontillado) and celebrate the life and work of Edgar Allan Poe at the fifth annual International Edgar Allan Poe Festival and Awards, commonly known as Poe Fest International. The festival takes place in Baltimore on Oct. 8 and 9, offering a mix of in-person and virtual programming to mark the 173rd anniversary of Poe’s death, including music, theater, vendors and guided tours.
© Poe Baltimore
This year’s program honors the opening of the Virginia Poe Bicentennial Death Exhibit, which explores Virginia Eliza Clemm Poe’s influence as a central muse in her husband’s writings. The weekend blends playful gothic pageantry with thoughtful exhibitions and performances that highlight Poe’s enduring influence on literature and popular culture.
Festival highlights include The Black Cat Ball at Westminster Hall: Til Death Do We Start on Oct. 8, whose Gothic Wedding theme invites attendees to dress in their finest black crêpe for a dramatic walk down the Gothic Red Carpet. Saturday’s main-stage performances feature The National Edgar Allan Poe Theatre presenting “Blood, Sweat and Fears,” Ballet Embody’s interpretation of “The Tell-Tale Heart,” and “A Descent into the Music Maelstrom” by Valentine Wolf.
© Poe Baltimore
On Sunday, attendees can enjoy “POE-etry in the Parlour” by Half Light Theatre, a staging of Poe’s “The Pit and the Pendulum” by Threedumb Theatre, and musical selections from the Baltimore City Pipe Band. Programming draws on collaborations with several Poe-centered institutions, including The Edgar Allan Poe House, The Poe Museum in Richmond, The Poe Cottage in the Bronx, the Poe Studies Association, the United States Military Academy at West Point, the Enoch Pratt Free Library, and the Edgar Allan Poe Society of Baltimore.
Event central is Poe’s former Baltimore residence at 203 North Amity St., a National Historic Landmark preserved and operated by Poe Baltimore as the Edgar Allan Poe House and Museum. The house serves as the festival’s anchor for live events, exhibits and guided tours that bring Poe’s history to life.
If you can’t make it to Baltimore, the festival’s virtual offerings make it easy to participate from afar — whether you attend panels and performances online or simply celebrate at home with a little gothic flair.