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Festival of the Dead

Some people think they're just too good for the simple pleasures of HALLOWEEN! - Mother Firefly

About Me


Halloween is the time of year when the shades of the dead whisper from forgotten places and spirits walk among us. The Witches of Salem honor this time with Festival of the Dead, an annual event series that explores death’s macabre customs, heretical histories, and strange rituals. Founded by Salem Witches Shawn Poirier and Christian Day , and hosted by the foremost authorities on the spirit world, Festival of the Dead beckons guests to step through the veil into a realm where spirits await.

Become a practicing ghost hunter , peer into the future with a psychic reading , learn the ancient arts of necromancy , communicate with departed loved ones in an authentic séance , transform yourself in a ritual of death and rebirth , dance in the vampires' masquerade , enroll your kids in a school where they can make friends with ghosts , and even dine with the dead . Finally, join the Salem Witches and revelers from around the globe for the crown jewel of Salem’s Haunted Happenings at The Official Salem Witches‘ Halloween Ball , the world’s most exclusive Halloween event!

Death continues to captivate our imaginations and ensnare our minds, beckoning us to journey into unknown realms and destinations beyond the tattered shroud of mortality.

Calendar of Events!

Daily, October 1 through 31, 2007
The Annual Psychic Fair and Witchcraft Expo
Museum Place Mall, 176 Essex Street, 10am – 10pm ... Learn More

Select Dates from October 9 through 18, 2006
The Salem School of Witchcraft
Psychic Fair @ Museum Place Mall , 7pm – 9:30pm ... Learn More

Friday, October 19, 2007
The Brimstone Chronicles
The Vault, 217 Essex Street , 8pm – Midnight ... Learn More

Saturday, October 20, 2007
Spectral Evidence: Ghost Hunting 101
The Hawthorne Hotel, Salem Common , 8pm – Midnight ... Learn More

Sunday, October 21, 2007
Grave Spirits: A Night of Necromancy
The Hawthorne Hotel, Salem Common, 6pm – 10pm ... Learn More

Thursday, October 25, 2007
The Vampires' Masquerade Ball
The Hawthorne Hotel, Salem Common, 7:30pm – 12:30am ... Learn More

Friday, October 26, 2007
The Official Salem Witches' Halloween Ball
The Hawthorne Hotel, Salem Common, 7:30pm – 12:30am ... Learn More

Saturday, October 27, 2007
Ms. Firefly's School of Spirit Conjuration
The Hawthorne Hotel, Salem Common, 2pm – 4pm ... Learn More

Death and Rebirth: Ritual Transformation
A Secret Downtown Salem Venue, 7pm – 11pm ... Learn More

Sunday, October 28, 2007
The Mourning Tea
The Hawthorne Hotel, Salem Common, 11am – 2pm ... Learn More

Messages from the Spirit World: Salem's Only Authentic Seance
The Hawthorne Hotel, Salem Common, 6pm – 10pm ... Learn More

Monday, October 29, 2007
The Dumb Supper: Dinner With the Dead
The Hawthorne Hotel, Salem Common, 6pm – 9pm ... Learn More

Check out the famous poster that helped to put Festival of the Dead (and the Vampires' Masquerade Ball ) on the map! See more media here!


My Interests

Halloween, October, magic, dark carnivals, vampires, witches, ghosts, ghouls, goblins, monsters, cemeteries, demons, gore, horror movies, freaks, ghost hunting, goth, Pazuzu, Hecate, Satan, necromancy, bones, black cats, Adrienne Barbeau, Elvira, Rob Zombie, Michael Meyers, Voodoo, Salem, New Orleans, Countess Bathoria, Melantha Blackthorne, abandoned asylums,

I'd like to meet:



Music:

Rob Zombie, Dead Can Dance, Ultraplush, Ghost Orgy, RazorDog, Loreena McKennitt, Madonna,

Movies:

Halloween, The Exorcist, Serial Mom, Rosemary’s Baby, Elvira: Mistress of the Dark, Silence of the Lambs, Sinners and Saints, The Witches of Eastwick, She Demons of the Black Sun, The Craft, The Omen, Poltergeist, Hellraiser, Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead, Faces of Death, Dracula,Something Wicked This Way Comes, Freaks, Hexen, Pink Flamingos, Multiple Maniacs, Sunset Boulevard, The Women,NightBreed

Television:

Six Feet Under, Dead Like Me, Medium, Ghost Whisperer, Dead Famous, Nip/Tuck

Books:

Greek and Roman Necromancy, The Tibetan Book of the Dead, The Vampire Codex, Dracula, The Vampire Chronicles, The Satanic Bible, Mastering Witchcraft, Diary of a Witch

Heroes:

Rob Zombie,Frankenstein,Bride of Frankenstein, Dracula, Wolfman, The Mummy, Invisable Man, Michael Myers, Freddy Krueger, Charles Manson, Laurie Cabot,Susan Atkins( For not feeling anything about it), Lizzy Borden, Madonna, Lorena Bobbit, Eileen Brennan (stealthy!), Mink Stole, Linda Lavin (very cheesy and scarey in a horrifying but I have to watch way) Regan MacNeil, Captain Howdy, Pazuzu, Women who wear garter belts instead of stockings, Men who dare to wear raincoats even when it's sunny out, Mary Hartman (for fighting waxy yellow build up!),Robert THE SKULL who eats with us once a year!

My Blog

The Winner of the Art Contest!

Greetings Darklings,My apologies for being late in choosing the winner of the Shawn and Christian art contest.We requested two-dimensional artwork, such as paintings, drawings, or even computer-render...
Posted by Festival of the Dead on Sun, 03 Jun 2007 04:05:00 PST

Sorcery of the Sun 2007!

Greetings friends,As some of you may know, Salem Witch Sandra Mariah Power and I also host an event series in August called Sorcery of the Sun! Check it out at:www.sorceryofthesun.comTickets to this y...
Posted by Festival of the Dead on Sun, 06 May 2007 04:18:00 PST

Festival of the Dead's first Christian event!

It has been an ongoing goal of mine to continue to broaden Festival of the Dead to defy the boundaries of religion, culture, and continent as we explore the customs and concepts of death. As my friend...
Posted by Festival of the Dead on Tue, 24 Apr 2007 03:22:00 PST

Dragon Ritual Drummers at the Witches Ball 2007!

Greetings from Salem,Festival of the Dead is proud to announce that the Dragon Ritual Drummers will be performing at The Official Salem Witches' Halloween Ball on October 26th, 2007 here in Salem, Mas...
Posted by Festival of the Dead on Sat, 21 Apr 2007 04:48:00 PST

The Passing of a Dear Friend

Greetings,It is with great sadness that I share the news that Shawn Poirier, my friend and business partner, passed away peacefully in his sleep in the early morning hours of Sunday, March 18th, 2007....
Posted by Festival of the Dead on Tue, 20 Mar 2007 09:34:00 PST