Yes, There's an 'Edgar Allan Poe Festival' in Maryland. Yes, We Have to Go.

The International Edgar Allan Poe Festival & Awards event is in its first year, and organizers are hoping it will appeal to your (tell-tale?) heart.

With Halloween just around the corner, this is the time of year that people start breaking out their best spooky decor, whipping up costume ideas, and stocking up on bags of individually wrapped candy bars. But here's a thought: Baltimore's first annual International Edgar Allan Poe Festival & Awards, October 6–7, will be the perfect way to kick off the Halloween season. What could be better than a festival dedicated to one of the darkest writers in American history?

WHEN: October 6-7 | Saturday: 11 a.m.–5 p.m. | Sunday: 11 a.m.–4 p.m.

WHERE: 203 North Amity Street (Baltimore, MD)

CONTACT: Click here for more details

This FREE, two-day Poe-themed festival celebrates the creepy and quirky writer who lived in Baltimore toward the end of his life. At the festival grounds, there'll be vendors, music, performances, programs, art, and books -- all in the shadow of Poe's Baltimore home! And awards will be handed out to the next generation of writers that carry on the legacy Poe left behind in his works.

If you want to dig a little deeper into the life and times of this beloved American writer, you can book a ticket for the Death Weekend Bus Tour that explores Poe's death and the mystery behind it. For two hours, you'll be able to tour Poe's home, grave, and an interesting re-enactment of his 1840s funeral.

Or, if you're over 21, the biggest party of the weekend (tickets cost extra) will be the Black Cat Ball, aboard the steamship yacht Raven, at 7 p.m. on Saturday night. It's a three-hour harbor cruise that includes food, drinks, a mystery gift bag, entertainment, and more! Make sure you don your very best outfit for your walk down a Gothic red carpet.

So what do you think? Is this the event of the year or what?? Tell us your favorite work by Edgar Allan Poe, and then tag a friend who should go with you to the festival -- all in the comments below!

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