On September 27, 2026, Porchlight; An Event Company transformed Market Street Creatives in downtown Torrington into something a little darker, stranger, and more theatrical.
Edgar’s Odditorium: Macabre Market & Experience was our first original public event produced entirely under the Porchlight banner- an immersive, Edgar Allan Poe-inspired experience combining a curated macabre market, live entertainment, interactive attractions, themed environments, and plenty of opportunity for curiosity.
But Edgar’s Odditorium wasn’t designed to simply be another vendor market. From the beginning, the goal was to create an experience.
The concept started with Edgar Allan Poe, but we didn’t want to create a historical exhibit or traditional Halloween event. Every element was intentionally designed to give attendees another reason to explore.
Photo opportunities, interactive vendors, live animals, performers, themed cocktails, and other small discoveries helped turn a trip through the market into something guests could make their own.
Instead of asking, “What vendors can we fit into this room?” we approached the event by asking:
“What can someone discover next?”
That question became one of the guiding principles of the entire event.
Attendees could have their tarot cards read by Bewitched by Bri, watch live artwork being created by Somber Lily Art and Magical Paul, and encounter live serpents.
And where there’s Poe- the witches usually aren’t far behind. Following a magical performance by The Moonlit Witch Dancers, witches continued to a major part of the atmosphere. Some guests arrived dressed as the Sanderson sisters after attending Hocus Pocus Live at the nearby Warner Theatre, and creations from Gypsy Moon by Gina added another touch of witchcraft to the market.
All Day Entertainment
The Main Stage was designed to make Edgar’s Odditorium feel as much like a show as a market.
Magical Paul entertained guests with a hilarious live magic performance while spending much of the day creating balloon art for attendees.
DM Slide Acoustic performed an exclusive acoustic set while also providing sound and lighting production throughout the event.
As evening approached, the atmosphere shifted.
Our Sad Hour brought guests together for an emo sing-along before Rhode Island metalcore band Valoria took the stage and closed out the Odditorium with a powerful live performance.
In the words of Edgar Allan Poe:
“The agony of my soul found vent in one loud, long and final scream.”
There probably wasn’t a more appropriate way to end the night.
Creating Experiences Within the Experience
One of the biggest lessons behind Edgar’s Odditorium was that guests want opportunities to participate, not simply observe.
That philosophy shaped many of the event’s attractions.
The Odditorium Paint & Sip gave attendees a ticketed creative experience accompanied by live music from DM Slide Acoustic.
Poe’s for a Pic, featured a number of curated props and a Live Serpent Encounter provided by Harris in Wonderland, which became one of the event’s most popular and memorable photo opportunities!
Then there was The Library. Created in collaboration with The Alchemist Society, the Library offered guests a quieter, atmospheric corner of the Odditorium dedicated to Edgar Allan Poe, literature, and literary discovery. The exhibit featured classic Poe works inside a more immersive environment.
The Library also looked beyond Poe. Guests were given a preview of Stone Mad by bestselling author D.M. Pulley ahead of its October release, along with a sneak peek at Sleuth-Hound by New York Times bestselling author Lindsay Fitzpatrick—a project with fascinating real-world connections to both Sherlock Holmes and Edgar Allan Poe.
It became another example of what we wanted the Odditorium to be: a place where turning a corner could lead to something completely different from what you had just experienced.
Importance of Collaboration
An event like Edgar’s Odditorium only works when dozens of creative people are willing to buy into an unusual idea. Artists, vendors, performers, authors, entertainers, photographers, production partners, collaborators, staff, and local businesses all contributed pieces of the final experience. Special thanks goes to Amethyst Events by Amanda for providing decor for ‘The Library’ exhibit, and MNE Events for providing a DJ during ‘Sad Hour!’
Collaboration was particularly important because Porchlight wasn’t interested in creating a room full of tables with a stage at the end. We wanted every participant to feel like they were part of the Odditorium itself.
Building the Buzz
Creating Edgar’s Odditorium was only half of the challenge. We also had to convince people that this strange new experience was worth showing up for.
Because this was a brand-new event without an existing audience of its own, Porchlight developed and managed a promotional campaign designed to introduce the Odditorium piece by piece.
Rather than simply advertising a date and location, we marketed the experience.
Individual vendors, performers, attractions, interactive experiences, collaborations, and surprises were revealed through dedicated content leading up to the event. This gave us a steady stream of new stories to tell while allowing potential attendees to gradually discover just how much was hidden inside the Odditorium.
That strategy helped the event gain significant organic attention on social media, eventually generating more than 1,000 people interested in Edgar’s Odditorium.
The event also earned attention beyond our own platforms. Edgar’s Odditorium was picked up by CT Insider, expanding awareness of the event beyond Porchlight’s existing audience and giving our first original public production valuable regional media exposure.
The Odditorium was also selected as an official stop on the Connecticut Witch Crawl, connecting the experience with an even larger seasonal community.
For us, those results were particularly meaningful.
Edgar’s Odditorium began as an event that had never existed before. There was no previous year to promote, no established reputation to lean on, and no library of past attendee photos showing people what to expect.
We had to sell an idea.
Through branding, storytelling, social media, partnerships, media outreach, event listings, and consistent promotion, that idea developed an audience of its own before the doors ever opened.
More Than an Event
Edgar’s Odditorium represented an important milestone for Porchlight; An Event Company. Since 2019, Porchlight has helped clients bring weddings, celebrations, community events, and other experiences to life throughout Connecticut and Southern New England.
The Odditorium gave us an opportunity to turn that same approach inward and ask:
What happens when Porchlight builds the event from the ground up?
We developed the concept and branding. We recruited vendors and performers. We designed the guest experience. We created attractions. We coordinated production, sound, lighting, décor, marketing, ticketing, staffing, partnerships, and event-day operations.
Then we opened the doors and watched an idea that existed for months on paper become a real place filled with people. That may have been the most rewarding part of the entire project.
Reception & Feedback
For a first-year event, Edgar’s Odditorium gave us a strong foundation to build upon. We estimate approximately 300-400 people attended, despite a nor’easter impacting the region on the day of the event, which may have affected overall turnout.
Our post-event vendor survey also provided valuable insight:
- 85.7% reported being profitable, said they would be interested in returning, and rated Porchlight’s pre-event communication as good or great.
- 71.5% said attendance met or exceeded expectations.
- Vendors gave the event an average grade of B+.
Combined with 1,000+ people interested on social media and regional media coverage, the results showed us there is an audience for the concept.
“It was awesome! Please do it again!”
– Margarita N. | Event Attendee
“Such an awesome event! Looking forward to it again next year!”
– Rachel B. | Event Attendee
Just as importantly, vendor feedback helped us identify opportunities to improve traffic flow, programming, promotion, communication, and the overall guest experience.
For us, a successful first year wasn’t about getting everything perfect.
It was about proving the concept-and leaving with a blueprint to make the next Odditorium even better.
Until The Next Time…
Edgar’s Odditorium was weird, theatrical, collaborative, and occasionally chaotic. More importantly, it was exactly the kind of event we wanted it to be. For Porchlight, this project demonstrated what is possible when event planning goes beyond logistics and becomes experience design.
Whether we’re coordinating a wedding, producing a public event, designing an immersive activation, or helping another organization transform an idea into something guests can actually step inside, our goal remains the same:
Create something people will remember after they leave.
Edgar’s Odditorium gave us the opportunity to do exactly that.
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