The International Edgar Allan Poe Festival & Awards is back for a 7th and very special year: the 75th Anniversary of the Poe House & Museum and Commemoration of the 175th Anniversary of Poe's Death in Baltimore. This year's festival will be held October 4th - 6th, 2024, right in the neighborhood that Poe himself once called home.

Thank you for your interest in volunteering for the 2024 International Edgar Allan Poe Festival & Awards. This year is proving to be bigger and more Poeful than ever before! Our volunteers play an integral role in making this event a success for Poe House and for the surrounding community.

This year's festival will be held October 4-6, 2024, at various locations throughout Baltimore and including The Edgar Allan Poe House & Museum.  There will be a kickoff reception, Friday, October 4, at Westminster Hall & Burying Ground, from 6 to 10 PM (free to volunteers.) The official party, The Black Cat Ball at Westminster Hall, will be held Saturday, October 5, from 6 to 10PM (ticketed event).

Pre-festival volunteer roles include: packet assembly, building, painting/marking, tour preparation and general assistance.

Festival volunteer roles include: information desk, house museum docents, vendor assistance, performer assistance, tour guides, festival clean-up, line and ticket check-in. 

Virtual volunteer roles include: trivia question creation, forum and webinar chat monitors, technical assistance, social media assistance.

The festival itself is an event FREE to the public, and the program is outdoors. There are additional parties and tours that require tickets; volunteers are welcome to purchase tickets (while supplies last), and may also be entitled to discounts depending on their level of participation:

Volunteers who attend all required meet-ups are entitled to 50% discount on tour tickets (regular price $59) and/or Black Cat Ball tickets (regular price $150) and a festival t-shirt.

Volunteers who attend all required meet-ups and volunteer 1 day of the festival (Saturday or Sunday, three-hour shift) are entitled to 75% discount on tour and Black Cat Ball tickets, and a festival t-shirt (Limit 1)

Volunteers who attend all required meet-ups and volunteer both days of the festival (Saturday and Sunday, three-hour shifts each day) are entitled to 100% discount on tour and Black Cat Ball tickets, plus a festival t-shirt. (Limit 1)