2021 International Edgar Allan Poe Festival & Awards

Poe Baltimore invites you to darken Poe’s chamber door at the fourth annual International Edgar Allan Poe Festival and Awards, October 2 & 3, 2021. This FREE, two-day outdoor event will feature Poe-themed performances, art, vendors and food, celebrating Poe’s life, works and his influence in the arts.

The festival will take place directly across the street from Poe House at 203 N. Amity Street in Baltimore, in the newly-built “Poe Park” at Center/West. Attendees will 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, NYC), The Poe Studies Association, The Edgar Allan Poe Society of Baltimore and Westminster Hall & Burying Ground. The winners of the 2021 Saturday 'Visiter' Awards will also be announced festival weekend!

***COVID-19 UPDATE: 2021 will see the return of in-person stage, vendors and tours, all proceeds to benefit The Edgar Allan Poe House & Museum in Baltimore. Of course, our soul from out pandemic's shadow has not yet lifted, so expect both virtual and in-person program announcements as we proceed this year. Our aim is to make this death commemoration as lively (and safe!) as possible.***

October 2 & 3 is “Death Weekend”, commemorating the 172nd anniversary of Edgar Allan Poe’s death in Baltimore. Visit PoeFestInternational.org for more vendors and program details/schedule.

Admission to Poe Fest International is FREE. Tours inside the Edgar Allan Poe House and additional exhibits at 1840s Plaza are not included as part of the general festival program and require paid tickets. To be sure you get in to see these precious landmarks, check out the ticketed options below--for those who cannot attend in-person, virtual and streaming events are also available:

Death Weekend 'Poe Places' Bus Tour

Explore the enduring mystery surrounding Poe’s tragic death on a special Death Weekend Live Virtual Tour of Poe’s Baltimore. The 2-hour tour ticket includes stops at four important Poe Places around Baltimore, including the sites where Poe was found and passed away, Poe’s graves at Westminster Hall & Burial Ground, and scenes from a special re-enactment of Edgar Allan Poe's first funeral. This ticket also includes access to our NEW "Poe in Film & Fashion" Exhibit at 1840s Plaza and the historic Carroll Mansion! NOTE: Death and funeral imagery (including body in an open casket), may not be suitable for young children. Viewer discretion advised.

The Edgar Allan Poe House & Museum

Crowds will gather at the International Edgar Allan Poe Festival October 2 & 3, and Poe House will only be open to visitors for timed-ticket tours. Your ticket entitles you to "express entry" and includes a tour of the historic Edgar Allan Poe House, plus readings by a very special un-dead mystery guest. Additional souvenir brochure with Mobile App and Cell Phone guide to "Poe's Baltimore" available.

The Edgar Allan Poe Film & Fashion Exhibit (NEW for 2021!)

Presented by Poe Baltimore at 1840s Plaza, this NEW "Poe in Film & Fashion" exhibit explores the ways in which Edgar Allan Poe's life and works continue to inspire and shape popular culture. Learn of the mysterious circumstances of Poe's death in Baltimore in 1849 and how the very clothes in which he was found are a tantalizing clue to the mystery of his final days. Next, explore the living arts of fashion and costume in recent films that adapt Poe's life or works, and the aesthetics at play in how Poe is interpreted for modern audiences. A mobile app and live guide are included to answer your questions!

This exhibit includes costumes from recent film & television programs, including Altered Carbon starring Chris Conner as Poe on Netflix/ Skydance, and a special sneak peek at production and costume details from 3 Days Rising, a new movie adaptation of Poe's "Fall of the House of Usher," starring Peter Greene, Ice-T, Mickey Rourke and Frank Whaley.

NOTE: Death and funeral imagery (including body in an open casket), may not be suitable for young children. Viewer discretion advised. This exhibit takes place at location away from Festival Grounds; limited street parking and garage parking is available. This is a ticketed event; timed entry guarantees admission.

Exhibits by:

Poe Baltimore, The Poe Museum (Richmond VA), The Edgar Allan Poe Society of Baltimore, Charles Wissinger, Craig Cukrowski & Derek Cukrowski, Eric Stange & Spy Pond Productions, Thad & Season Ciechanowski, Poe Movies, Christopher Schafer Clothier, Jason Strutz Illustration, Jericho Vinegar Works, Roger Miller, Kenny Epps & The Baltimore Camera Club.

NOTE TO POE FESTIVAL ATTENDEES: The exhibit is staged at a location away from festival grounds. 1840s Plaza is at 29 S. Front Street, roughly three miles from Poe House. Paid parking available at Inner Harbor Park Garage, 751 E. Lombard Street, or 815 E. Pratt St. Garage.

And once night descends upon the City, the cats to come out to play:

The Black Cat Ball: Hollywood Gothic at 1840s Plaza

The Black Cat Ball : Hollywood Gothic at 1840s Plaza is the Official Party for The International Edgar Allan Poe Festival & Awards, Saturday, October 2nd. Doors open 7:30 PM (VIP 7:00 PM) Dress to impress and walk our Gothic Red Carpet!

Join us for a Gothic Hollywood-themed masquerade of the senses as we dance into the night, explore a garden of culinary delicacies, then raise a glass to the inimitable Edgar Allan Poe! Guests will enjoy passed hors d’oeuvres and specialty cocktails while they peruse the “Edgar Allan Poe Film & Fashion Exhibit” featuring costumes from the latest and upcoming adaptations of Poe’s works in film & television.

Tickets are all-inclusive for food, beer/ wine/ signature cocktails, and entertainment, including:

• Private Viewing & Reception at "The Edgar Allan Poe Film & Fashion" Exhibit
• Winners of the 2021 Saturday 'Visiter' Awards, presented by author Rafael Alvarez
• Cognac toast to Edgar Allan Poe

And of course... stories and poems by Edgar Allan Poe!

This party is 21+ over restricted; 100% ID Check!

LIMITED EXCLUSIVE VIP packages also available; includes early entry, plus a private performance and seance at the historic Carroll Mansion! Featuring the National Edgar Allan Poe Theatre's Alex Zavistovich, The Undead Edgar, and Evening Crane Theatre.

NOTE TO POE FESTIVAL ATTENDEES: The party takes place at a location away from festival grounds. 1840s Plaza is at 29 S. Front Street, roughly three miles from Poe House. Paid parking available at Inner Harbor Park Garage, 751 E. Lombard Street, or 815 E. Pratt St. Garage.

For those who cannot attend the festival in person, the Poe Fest International Virtual Festival Pass includes all three of our tours and exhibits, presented LIVE online!

Virtual Festival Pass

This is your all-access pass to live virtual events festival weekend! Watch our streaming program on Facebook Live and YouTube Live for FREE. Want more? Purchase a Virtual Festival Pass and join live webinars via Zoom using your own mobile device or computer at home.

The Poe Fest Int'l Virtual Festival Pass includes three virtual tours: Virtual Tour of the Edgar Allan Poe House & Museum, the Edgar Allan Poe's Death in Baltimore Virtual Tour, and the Edgar Allan Poe in Film & Fashion Virtual Exhibit. These interactive webinars are guided tours led by LIVE museum docents. $25 includes ALL virtual tours, all weekend long! Join either or both days.