It feels INSANE to say we are fewer than 60 days away from the 2024 International Edgar Allan Poe Festival & Awards. This year is particularly special as we roll out the crimson carpet for The Edgar Allan Poe House & Museum’s 75th Anniversary coinciding with the 175th anniversary of Poe’s death in Baltimore.
Programming for this FREE community event does not happen without support from our sponsors. For a second year, Wells Fargo Foundation has committed $100,000 to grow festival programming and to celebrate Poe’s legacy here in Baltimore and beyond. They join La Cite Development, RavenBeer, Maryland Public Television, Hippodrome Foundation, Poe’s Magic Theatre and over 40 organizations contributing funds and programming for this event. All proceeds benefit The Edgar Allan Poe House & Museum. Poe Baltimore will share plans for expansion of the museum with attendees at our Diamond Anniversary events this October.
Read this month’s newsletter for updates on festival and museum program announcements including The Poe Museum (Richmond), the NSA’s National Cryptologic Museum, and year two of the Costume POErade. And congratulations to all of the Official Nominees for the 2024 Saturday ‘Visiter’ Awards, presented by Poe Baltimore, recognizing a new generation of artists and writers inspired by the life and works of Edgar Allan Poe. Winners will be announced festival weekend at The Black Cat Ball, the official party of Poe Fest International.
Yours in Poe, Enrica Jang Director, Poe Baltimore
P.S. Our year-long commemoration of the 75th Anniversary of the Poe House & Museum in Baltimore continues. Each month we’re sharing facts, points of interest, and hidden history of Poe House, from its savior from demolition in 1940, to the future of the museum as we look ahead to transformation and expansion. This month, meet the first tour guides at Poe House!
The International Edgar Allan Poe Festival & Poe House 75th Anniversary
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! 75th Anniversary Programs include:
Poe Fest International is a free, family-friendly weekend of events featuring Edgar Allan Poe-themed performances, art, exhibits, vendors, music and food, celebrating Poe’s life, works and his influence in the arts. The street festival takes place at The Edgar Allan Poe House & Museum at 203 N. Amity Street in Baltimore, in “Poe Park” at Center/West. Additional exhibits, tours, and programs at several locations in Baltimore City, October 4-6.
If previous years’ attendance is any judge, this year’s festival may just be the biggest Poe event in three-quarters of a century (again!) Don’t miss an incredible Diamond Anniversary for the Poe House in Baltimore.
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 The Edgar Allan Poe House & Museum at 203 N. Amity Street in Baltimore, 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. Additional tours and events require tickets. 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.
June events from Poe Baltimore
Blame it on my historian heart, but I love marking anniversaries. 2024 is especially full of them, however, and all these numbers are a tad alarming: it’s the 175th Anniversary of Edgar Allan Poe’s death in Baltimore, the 75th Anniversary of the Edgar Allan Poe House & Museum, the 60th Anniversary of Roger Corman’s 1964 classic horror film Masque of the Red Death starring Vincent Price, and the 200th Anniversary of the Marquis de Lafayette’s triumphant 1824 return to the United States after the Revolutionary War.
One of these things seems not like the others? <insert historian voice> Well, actually… Edgar Allan Poe’s grandparents served in the Revolutionary War and were noted by the Marquis during that eponymous visit for their contribution to the cause of Liberty. We’re excited to share plans for an upcoming exhibit, “Poe, Revolution, and the Marquis de Lafayette,” at a fundraiser in June!
Poe events are springing up all over Baltimore City as the Season begins in earnest for the Edgar Allan Poe House & Museum. Along with extended schedule for weekly tours of Poe House and the return of monthly Poe’s Death in Baltimore Bus Tours, The Poe Death Exhibit and new Ghastly Galentine Pop-up Shop are now open every weekend at Carroll Mansion.
Equal parts elation and fear? That lingering dread is the knowledge our newest offering, a series of monthly speaker events at Carroll Mansion, is doomed before it even begins: Poe Baltimore is honored to host the National Edgar Allan Poe Theatre’s third annual DOOMSDAY, a 24-hour reading of Poe stories and poems. The event series will continue in June as we welcome the return of POEetic Justice, the organizers of Ravenfest in Ayrshire, Scotland, for ALLAN vs. POE, a Discussion About Fatherhood. All events are held in-person and stream live from Carroll Mansion.
It’s a lot to take in, we realize. Gird yourselves, the pressure won’t let up: deadline approaches for artists and writers to enter the Saturday ‘Visiter’ Awards! Poe Baltimore is thrilled to announce this year’s slate of judges and our esteemed guest-of-honor, Mark Dawidziak, for the awards at this year’s International Edgar Allan Poe Festival. VIP Festival pre-sales are ON SALE NOW! <Insert evil laughter emoji here.>
P.S. Our commemoration of the 75th Anniversary of the Poe House & Museum in Baltimore continues. Each month we’re sharing facts, points of interest, and hidden history of Poe House, from its savior from demolition in 1940, to the future of the museum as we look ahead to transformation and expansion. This month we share the history of Poe House and the Edgar Allan Poe Homes Housing Project.
The International Edgar Allan Poe Festival & Awards returns to Baltimore the weekend of October 4-6, 2024! We’re celebrating a Diamond Anniversary: 75 years honoring Poe’s legacy at the Edgar Allan Poe House & Museum in Baltimore.
Attendees will see the return of in-person stage and vendors at Poe House. Admission to festival grounds is FREE. Additional ticketed events will take place all weekend, proceeds to benefit The Edgar Allan Poe House & Museum in Baltimore. There are many ways to celebrate Poe during festival weekend! VIP Pre-sales are open NOW and close May 31!
Donate a PAVER FOR POE in the new walkway at “Poe Park”, get first access to VIP Death Weekend Bus Tour tickets or Black Cat Ball tickets at the 2024 International Edgar Allan Poe Festival in October! Tour tickets usually sell out a month before the festival, and this is the only way to reserve this year’s tickets before they go on sale to the general public in June.
PLUS, by donating a PAVER FOR POE by May 31, you will be able to see your paver in the new “Poe Park” walkway at the festival in October this year! Personalize a 4″x8″ paver (includes 3 lines of text) or an 8″ x 8″ paver (6 lines of text) and then visit your very own piece of Poe’s legacy at Poe Fest International in October.
The “Poe Park” walkway is not only a central feature of the festival grounds, but a permanent fixture and lasting tribute to Edgar Allan Poe’s legacy in Baltimore. Visitors from around the world will see this beautiful gift just steps away from Poe’s chamber door. Paver donations support operations and programming at The Edgar Allan Poe House & Museum in Baltimore.
Choose a Pavers for Poe Fest Int’l package:
4″ x 8″ personalized, engraved paver
A seat on the VIP Death Weekend Bus Tour (option to purchase one companion ticket at checkout)
Long-sleeve 2024 Poe Fest International T-shirt for pickup at the festival
–OR–
8″ x 8″ personalized, engraved paver
Black Cat Ball & 75th Anniversary Diamond Gala Ticket
Option to include companion ticket at discount rate!
Pavers are guaranteed to be installed in time for the 7th Annual Poe Fest International, October 4 – 6, 2024.
Poe was Irish on his father’s side, his great-grandfather and grandfather having immigrated to Baltimore from County Cavan, Ireland. This month we’re celebrating those Irish roots and poetical tradition with a Pints for Poe: Dead Irish Poets Edition party to kick-off St. Patrick’s Day weekend. Dead Irish poet-ry readings and traditional Irish music are promised, and this event is sponsored by Baltimore’s own RavenBeer.
Poe Programs will continue at Carroll Mansion this season: we’ve partnered with Carroll Museums to open the historic Carroll Mansion & Phoenix Shot Tower for weekend tours from April thru November. Visit The Poe Death Exhibit and new Ghastly Galentine Pop-up Shop at Carroll Mansion starting April 6: each ticket includes the exhibit, a mansion tour and drop-in access to the Shot Tower. More events, parties, readings and chamber concerts TBA.
Springing forward, next month Poe House will open expanded hours once more, Wednesday thru Sunday. We’re also bringing back monthly bus tours of Edgar Allan Poe’s Baltimore. Stops include Poe House, the site of Poe’s Death, and Poe’s grave and monument at Westminster Hall. Add the Death exhibit and mansion/tower tours for only $6.
P.S. Our commemoration of the 75th Anniversary of the Poe House & Museum in Baltimore continues. Each month we’re sharing facts, points of interest, and hidden history of Poe House, from its savior from demolition in 1940, to the future of the museum as we look ahead to transformation and expansion. This month we delve deeper into the scholarly effort by May Garrettson Evans to research and save Poe House.
Last month we saw a huge outpouring of support from you, Poe Nation, at a time it was truly needed. This month’s newsletter is a Valentine to all the ticket-donors and supporters who exceeded our goal with $7K raised for Poe House for Poe’s 215th Birthday. It takes more than love to keep our mission going, and these wonderful people contributed.
Very special thanks to Chris Riehl at Baltimore Rent-A-Tour, Academy Buses, and Westminster Hall, as well as the team at the NSA’s National Cryptologic Museum and Poe’s Magic Theatre for rescheduling for next year!
Finally, the focus in February is on Valentines, but as we’ve seen, love comes in many forms, including friendship and inspiration. To that end, our Ghastly Galentine’s Pop-up Shopping Event is next week; tickets are moving fast. And call for entries has opened for the 2024 Saturday ‘Visiter’ Awards, recognizing a new generation of artists and writers inspired by Poe. If you are moved to support your literary love, be our Valentine this and every month.
Due to inclement weather and University advisory, we are very sad to cancel The Poe Toaster Murder Mystery & Poe Birthday Event. Our disappointment is profound, and we sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause our ticket-holders. This was a sold-out event just a day before the weather hit Baltimore. Ticket-holders will be offered refunds and/or the opportunity to donate their tickets. We also appeal to you, Poe Nation, to help us for Poe’s 215th Birthday.
Fellow lovers of literature, poetry, and history rightly imagine that working at an organization devoted to celebrating Edgar Allan Poe’s legacy is a dream position. It is also a weighty responsibility, as Poe Baltimore’s mission is to maintain and interpret the historic landmark and keep Poe’s chamber door open to visitors. Programs can be whimsical and fun, but our greater purpose is to raise support within our community. The dedication of museum funds and countless staff and volunteer hours invested in planning make this cancellation a financial setback.
Common sentiment to feel a bit beleaguered after the mad season of the holidays and return to work and school. But beleaguered is bread and butter for us, Poe Nation. Plus there’s little time to feel weary as January is jam-packed with events as we close in on celebrations for Edgar Allan Poe’s 215th Birthday!
Can’t be in Baltimore? The Poe Museum Richmond & The Poe Cottage in NY have birthday celebrations, too!
And finally, we’re very proud to kick off commemoration of the 75th Anniversary of the Poe House & Museum in Baltimore. Each month we’ll share facts, points of interest, and hidden history of Poe House, from its savior from demolition in 1940, to the future of the museum as we look ahead to transformation and expansion. We begin with a list of great events in literary history from 1949, the first year Poe House was opened to the public–read the newsletter here!
Yours in Poe, Enrica Jang Director, Poe Baltimore
P.S. We’re planning a “Ghastly Galentine” event at Carroll Mansion, February 13. Tickets on sale next Friday!
