VoodooFest, a free annual festival held every Halloween at Voodoo Authentica of New Orleans Cultural Center & Collection, will be held on Sunday, October 31, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.. The festival celebrates the important contributions of Voodoo to New Orleans’ traditions by honoring the ancestors and educating the public about this widely misunderstood religion.

The festival will feature Haitian Vodou priestess Mambo Maggie, Ghanaian priest and master drummer Osofo Andrew, and award-winning local musicians Bruce “Sunpie” Barnes and Luther Gray of Bamboula 2000. Additional guests include spiritualist, author and vocalist Nana Sula, Queen Cherice Harrison-Nelson of the Guardians of the Flame Maroon Society, Marie Laveaux researcher Dr. Ina Fandrich, New Orleans Voodoo priest author Papa Zaar, New Orleans priestess Ava Kay Jones, intuitive reader Mam’zelle Kamille, Haitian-initiated Vodou priest Houngan Jesse, local artist Amzie Adams, and the Voodoo Authentica ritual troupe.

Events schedule:

11 a.m. | Voodoo Authentica opens to the public

1 p.m. | Opening ceremony with Amzie Adams, led by Mambo Maggie and initiated priests.

1:30 p.m. | Ghanaian priest and master drummer Osofo Andrew who will speak about the importance of embracing diversity while sharing spiritual songs from his native country.

2 p.m. |  New Orleans Voodoo priest Papa Zaar, author of Beneath the Sheltering Oak and Voodoo Through My Eyes, will speak about his close relationship to the ancestors and how they assist him in his work as a spiritual consultant and root worker.

2:30 p.m. | Musician  historian Bruce “Sunpie” Barnes will share Louisiana stories while performing some of his most popular songs.

3 p.m. | Haitian-initiated Cajun voodoo priest Jesse Brunet will speak about the fascinating history of the Cajun people and the tremendous contributions they have made to Louisiana history and culture.

3:30 p.m. |  New Orleans Voodoo practitioner and intuitive reader Mam’zelle Kamille will shares spine-tingling ghost stories and French Quarter lore.

4 p.m. |  Historian Dr. Ina Fandrich will speak about the life and times of the famous New Orleans Voodoo priestess Marie Laveau.

4:30 p.m. | Queen Cherice Harrison-Nelson of the Guardians of the Flame Maroon Society will deliver a guest lecture about  the New Orleans Black Masking Indian tradition.

5 p.m. | Nana Sula, author of Spirit of the Orisha, will present a soul-filled musical journey into the world of African spirit forces while also sharing the meaning and beauty of Orisha songs.

5:30 p.m. | Priestess Ava Kay Jones, speaks about her spiritual journey, and what it means to be “Voodoo Catholic.”

6 p.m. | Mambo Maggie shares the enduring legacy of love passed down by her mother, Vodou priestess Mama Lola.

6:15 p.m. | Visitors are encouraged to bring a drum—or clapping hand—for an African drumming session.  Award-winning percussionist Luther Gray of Bamboula 2000 will discuss the African roots of New Orleans’ recognized  percussvie rhythms. Everyone is asked to participate and learn a few basic beats.

7 p.m. | Closing ancestral healing ritual led by Mambo Maggie and Voodoo Authentica’s extended family of initiated priests.

For  more information, visit the website for Voodoo Authentica, located at 612 Dumaine Street in the French Quarter.