Celebrating Edgar Allan Poe During Poe-tober

No doubt you're familiar with Edgar Allan Poe, the American writer and poet best known for his tales of mystery and the macabre. "Quoth the Raven, 'Nevermore.'" You may not know, however, that Poe lived and wrote for a number of years in Baltimore and died here under mysterious circumstances in October 1849 at the age of 40. That makes October, or rather Poe-tober, an appropriate occasion to celebrate his life, literary works and contribution to the arts.

When you stay at Rachael's Dowry Bed and Breakfast, you are within minutes of the most notable places and events that honor Poe and his legacy. The Edgar Allen Poe House and Museum on North Amity Street is where the author lived in the 1830s with his grandmother, aunt and two cousins. Inside this tiny, 620-square-foot home are exhibits that tell the story of Poe’s life and death in Baltimore and significant artifacts such as his portable writing desk and chair.

Each October, the streets in front of the Poe House become the grounds for the annual International Edgar Allan Poe Festival. Festivities include stage performances, workshops, Poe-themed vendors and the RavenBeer Garden. This year's free, two-day outdoor event is set for October 8 and 9. As part of the festival, you can explore the mystery of his death on a Death Weekend bus tour that takes you to his two graves (yes, he has two!), the site where he was found in a disheveled stupor, and the place where he later died. 

The festival continues at Westminster Hall and Burying Ground, the final resting place of Edgar and his wife, Virginia, his first cousin who he married when he was 27 and she was 13. Westminster Hall will feature the Edgar and Virginia Poe Death Exhibit, an interactive art installation and a reenactment of his dark and somber funeral. This is also the location for the grand Black Cat Ball, a wedding-themed masquerade dance that will toast the nuptials of Edgar and his child bride.

Other Poe-tober events are happening all month long. The National Edgar Allan Poe Theatre will present Blood, Sweat and Fears, a stage show celebrating some of Poe's most famous works with magic, music and some of the area's best actors. The live performances at FPX Events will run from October 14 through November 6. Die-hard Poe fans will want to visit the Enoch Pratt Free Library to peruse its Edgar Allan Poe Collection of Works that provides a rare glimpse into Poe's family life. The collection includes letters, original manuscripts, first-edition books and even a lock of his hair.

You can wine and dine at two Baltimore establishments that pay homage to Poe. The Annabel Lee Tavern is a cozy, eerie little pub on South Clinton Street that marks the anniversary of Poe's wake. For this year's 15th and final wake, Poe-impersonator David Keltz will perform "The Black Cat." Make a toast to Poe with a drink at The Horse You Came In On Saloon, a Fell's Point institution established in 1775. The Horse, as it's called by locals, is America's oldest continually operated saloon and claims to be Edgar Allan Poe's last destination before his mysterious death. There's even a designated seat in the bar marked "Poe’s Last Stop."

“Believe nothing you hear, and only one half that you see.” ― Edgar Allan Poe