Once upon a midnight dreary, the Berwyn Arts Council pondered, weak and weary, who to honor with a festival.

The quaint and curious answer was Edgar Allan Poe, and the festival stuck — at least for this year.

The Berwyn Arts Council’s second annual Poefest began Sunday, Oct. 25, honoring the writer and poet Edgar Allan Poe.

Fran Gregory, Arts Council member and Poefest creator and organizer, said the festival in the final week of October was going to switch to honor a new artist this year until members discovered 2009 would be Poe’s 200th birthday. Poe was born in 1809 and died at the age of 40.

“Last year, we just picked Poe because I liked him and thought he was good for Halloween,” Gregory said. “It was just a coincidence.”

Gregory said the Arts Council will look to another artist, musician or performer to name the festival after next year, but this year’s festival is in full swing with a week’s worth of events ending Friday, Oct. 30.

The events began this weekend with two new activities from last year. Poe lovers packed the Tamale Hut Cafe, 8300 Cermak Road, North Riverside for Poe readings and a costume party.
Jamie Flores, cafe owner and a Berwyn resident, said many were dressed in costume for Poefest’s opening night.

“It was great and they got a rousing applause,” Flores said. “It worked out really well for them and I hope we can do it again.”

Sunday afternoon was for the children with a costume party and the band “Atomic Gumdrops” performing  at the 16th Street Theater in Berwyn. Two new events were added to the week long schedule, which included a ghost story reading Monday, Oct. 26,  at The James Joyce Irish Pub, beer tasting at Cigars and Stripes Tuesday, Oct. 27, and a student art and writing exhibit that runs through Nov. 21 at the Berwyn Public Library.

Gregory said the Arts Council has worked with about a dozen classes in Berwyn schools whose students provide art and write stories for the gala event Friday at the Berwyn Cultural Center.

“The more I delve into the artistic community of Berwyn, the more I see how prevalent it is,” Gregory said. “I think we should celebrate that.”

All of the remaining events are free of charge.

“Poe lovers come out of the woodwork for this,” Gregory said. “You don’t know how much people love Poe until there’s an event like this.”

Entertainment lineup for Poefest

Wednesday Oct. 28
WHAT Movie night
WHEN 5 and 7:30 p.m.
WHERE Berwyn Cultural Center, 6420 16th St.

Thursday
WHAT Day of the Dead Altar Workshop and Procession
WHEN 5 p.m.
WHERE Berwyn Public Library, 2701 S. Harlem Ave.

WHAT Documentary viewing
WHEN 7:30 p.m.
WHERE Berwyn Public Library

Friday
WHAT Gala event including readings, art exhibit and performances
WHEN 6 p.m.
WHERE Berwyn Cultural Center