TV Series
Behind-the-scenes history

Cast
Bios, photo galleries, and exclusive feature articles

Collectibles
Photos and facts about DS toys, books, and more

Books by Craig Hamrick
About DS books written by DSO's webmaster

Movies
House of Dark Shadows and Night of Dark Shadows

Links
Your portal to other DS websites and merchandise

About This Site

Home

Buy the Books

Visit Barnes & Nobel.com to buy Craig's books: Big Lou and Barnabas & Co.

About the Festival Weekends
Each year, Dark Shadows fans get together to meet each other, watch DS episodes and specials on a big screen, and see members of the cast at Dark Shadows Festivals. Authorized by Dan Curtis Productions, these annual Festivals usually alternate between New York City and Los Angeles, although sometimes the action is changed to a special venue like Las Vegas.

The 2006 Festival is scheduled for August in Brooklyn. (Click here to visit the official Festival site for more information -- however tickets will probably not be on sale until much closer to the event date.)

David Selby, Kathryn Leigh Scott, Nancy Barrett and Roger Davis were among the original DS cast members who presented a sequel to the series at the 2003 Dark Shadows Festival.

Return to Collinwood brought the Collins family into the 21st century, where Carolyn is mistress of the spooky mansion and the reading of Elizabeth's will provides some surprises.

Some actors, including Lara Parker, Kathryn Leigh Scott, Roger Davis, Marie Wallace, and Diana Millay, attend the Festival nearly every year. Others, such as Nancy Barrett, David Selby, and Mitch Ryan, attend only occasionally. Alexandra Moltke and Kate Jackson have never attended.

The stars take part in on-stage Q-and-A sessions and autograph lines where they greet fans and sign photos, memorabilia, and Festival programs. (David Selby is pictured at the top of this page, facing the crowd at the 2004 fan meeting in Tarrytown, NY.)

Lara Parker (Angelique) has attended many Festivals. "In the beginning, at the conventions, we would be swarmed by fans," she told me in the early 1990s. "They would practically knock us over. Now the fans are much less impressed, (she laughed) and much more polite."

"I've often said that if the show were any more popular, we wouldn't be able to go to these conventions, and if it were any less popular, we wouldn't have ever had them, " Lara continued. "We're sort of in that strange arena of being able to have contact with the people who love the show and have really enjoyed watching us. We meet them and talk to them. A lot of them I've gotten to know. They come back every year, and they're friends of mine. I've seen them grow up and stop being pimply teenagers and go out into the real world and get real jobs, and it's been interesting."

Christopher Pennock (Jeb Hawkes) talks to a DS Festival audience about one of the comic books he has written and illustrated.
Exclusive Dark Shadows 2004 Weekend Report & Photos:
In the summer of 2004, the annual Dark Shadows fan gathering had a new name and a smaller crowd than in past years, but for the 1,000 fans and eight series stars in attendance, it seemed like old times, as we again celebrated our affection for the classic Gothic soap opera. Click here to read about the event and see exclusive behind-the-scenes photos.

Dark Shadows © Dan Curtis Productions. All Rights Reserved.
Dark Shadows Online © 2005 Craig Hamrick