Travel Blog: My Trip to "Lurch Fest"
For those unaware, "Lurch Fest" is an annual festival held every August in Philippi, West Virginia; hometown of actor Ted Cassidy, the first man to ever play Lurch on television. The event is designed to celebrate Lurch, the original Addams Family TV series, and actor Ted Cassidy's life.
During my trip to "Lurch Fest", one of the first things I wanted to do was visit the town museum where I knew several pieces of Addams Family history were (I wanted to enter the museum first thing, knowing it would be more crowded as the day went on). Much to my delight, the museum had statue replicas of Lurch, Thing, and Cousin Itt. However, I was also happy to see Wednesday Addams' original doll was there as well, along with old newspaper clippings about the old show, and an entire script of a classic episode was available to look through.
Although what really took me by surprise was how massive this festival was. This wasn't a little small town party (my pictures don't do justice for how big it was). This was a massive event that was essentially a combination of a summer carnival, a little version of Comic Con, and a massive flea market. Typical summer carnival type stuff (complete with games, food vendors, and music) were set up in one area, while multiple celebrities were doing signings in another, and not far from them were tons of vendors and families selling all kinds of used and custom products.
However, the themes of all these activities didn't extend to just stuff related to Lurch, the Addams Family, or Ted Cassidy. There were also events and celebrity appearances centered on other classic 1960's TV shows, along with supernatural based content from across the decades; including appearances by actors from the Walking Dead, and YouTube content creators that cover the paranormal. Also, when it came to the flea market; all kinds of used stuff from any decade in the last century could be found.
However, if you're looking for me to tell you if "Lurch Fest" is worth visiting, here's what I will say. If you are a fan of the original 1964 Addams Family TV series, then the event and the town museum is an absolute wonderful experience you need to do at least once. However, if you're more of a fan of later Addams Family media (in particular, you're just a fan of the Wednesday TV series), you will find less of a connection to this event. However, if you find that a celebrity you like is showing up at a future "Lurch Fest", I'd say definitely go (you'll get far more out of the experience than you expected).
-On one final note, for those that know me well, they know I have also been to "Addams Fest", which occurs every October in Westfield, New Jersey. For anyone who wants to know if "Lurch Fest" or "Addams Fest" are better than the other, I say both have pros and cons, depending on your perspective. "Addams Fest" is more of a festival centered around all the creations of Charles Addams and all their incarnations (so there's a little more connection for modern Wednesday fans). However, Lurch Fest" has expanded to be about all sorts of other things (although your interest in the festival will depend on if you're into those other things). Regardless, both festivals are still great are in their own way, and I'm glad I've experienced both now.
