Entertainment
Visitors to receive history lesson amidst Paranormal Fest
The Shreveport-Bossier City community may be known as Louisiana’s Other Side, but June 20-23, visitors from all over the country will get to know its weirder side at the rst Paranormal Festival, held in downtown Shreveport.
Set to include such otherworldly activities as haunted tours, ghost-hunting seminars and a ghost story-telling competition, the festival will focus on local history as a backdrop to the paranormal-packed weekend.
“Downtown Shreveport is lled with history,” said Downtown Development Authority Executive Director Liz Swaine. “And this is a fun, entertaining and educational way to focus on that history and on our inventory of incredible historic buildings. The buildings tell a story, and so do the ‘spirits’ still residing within them. It will be a truly fascinating weekend in June when these beautiful structures tell their tales.”
Author and paranormal investigator Deonna Kelli Sayed of North Carolina (www.deonnakellisayed.com) will be the event’s keynote speaker, and she is enthusiastic to learn more about the storied history of downtown Shreveport. “I am really excited to come to Shreveport because the more I learn about it, the more fascinated I am,” she said.
Like many other enthusiasts, Sayed became interested in paranormal phenomena due to unexplained occurrences throughout her own life. Now she participates in ghost hunts, which utilize historical research and witness interviews along with technology such as digital audio and video recording to determine whether or not spirits or other paranormal entities may inhabit a particular location.
Sayed sees this work as the literal “ nal frontier.” “We’ve covered the globe,” she said. “And we’ve been to outer space, but what happens after we die really is the nal frontier. It’s the limit of the human imagination and scienti c research.” What’s more, she is anxious to explore some of the historic downtown buildings that have never before been investigated by paranormal researchers. “I’m really looking forward to the ghost hunts,” she said. “Some of these locations have never had group ghost hunts in them, and it really is virgin territory.”
But one thing both Sayed and Swaine emphasized is that the Paranormal Festival is not exclusive to true-blue ghost believers. In fact, they hope a few respectfully differing opinions will keep the discussions lively. “I am the world’s biggest skeptic, but I’m open to the conversation,” Swaine said. “I love hearing people who have different skill sets and interests and are passionate about their interests.” In addition to the more traditionally “haunted” activities, the festival will include panels on why America (and the rest of the world) is obsessed with the paranormal and how other cultures interact with the spirit world.
Since this is the rst year for the Paranormal Festival, organizers aren’t sure precisely what the turnout will be, but Swaine said, “We’re actually limiting ticket sales so that we’re not overcrowded and everyone can have a one-on-one experience.”
VIP passes are $175 and include the Thursday night tour and panel; the opening reception with Sayed and gifted medium Dakota Lawrence; seven workshops and panels; the Cemetery Creep; the Ghost Story Telling Competition; lunch on Saturday; and a choice between the Haunted River Cruise, a tour of Logan Mansion or a cruise on the wreck of the Kentucky; as well as pub crawl discounts and an actual ghost hunt in one of downtown’s historic buildings that has been pre-screened for spirit activity by local ghost hunters Louisiana Spirits.
A small number of tickets are available for individual events including Friday and Saturday screenings of the Steven Spielberg horror lm “Poltergeist” at Robinson Film Center ($10), the Thursday night Paranormal Trolley Tour & Talk ($5), the Haunted Logan Mansion Sunday Tour & Jazz Brunch ($35), the Ghost Story Telling Competition ($10) and several free events including a child-friendly haunted tour of the historic Shreve Memorial Library downtown. Purchase VIP passes and tickets at www.downtownshreveport.com.
In the end, the jewel in the Paranormal Festival’s ghostly crown is downtown Shreveport itself. “I think we have to keep in mind that this event is really about honoring Shreveport and its history,” Sayed said. “One does not have to believe in ghosts to enjoy learning. It’s a fun and interactive way to learn history. I encourage people in the region to come out for the sake of Shreveport. It’s really not about ghosts, it’s about learning your own story.”
– Kelly Phelan Powell
