The First Annual CT WITCH TRIALS FESTIVAL comes to Historic Pratt Street in Downtown Hartford on Saturday, Aug 10 and Sunday, Aug 11 from 11am until 5pm daily. The two-day Free admission event will take place on Historic Pratt Street in Downtown Hartford, with a wide variety of themed vendors and authors. There will be performers, guest speakers, panels, vendors, artisans, a dance troupe, food, beverages, and attractions for all ages. The event celebrates the accused being absolved in 2023 (which is why this wasn’t done prior) – while also acknowledging the “witches” themselves – with the utmost respect and due regard. It is also presented to raise further awareness of the trials that happened in Connecticut, and the history.
In May of last year, Connecticut House Joint Resolution 34, “Resolution Concerning Certain Witchcraft Convictions in Colonial Connecticut, was adopted by the House of Representatives in May of 2023 by a vote of 121 to 30 and was then adopted by the Senate by a margin of 33 to 1. This bipartisan resolution absolved the innocent victims of the witch trials and apologized to their descendants.
Special Guest of Honor is Dr. Richard S. Ross III, Professor Emeritus and former College Librarian at Trinity College, Hartford, CT. His book “Before Salem: Witch Hunting in the Connecticut River Valley 1647-1663” was released in 2017 by McFarland Publishing. His books have reached an international audience of scholars and readers. They are held in research and national libraries throughout the globe. His Saturday, August 10 talk will be entitled “The Hartford Witch Panic 1662-1663.” His Sunday, August 11 talk will be entitled “The Witch in Old Connecticut: Righting a Troubled Legacy.”
Two other Special Guests of note are Catherine Nadal and Lori Bruno. Nadal is a witch, and Reverend in Our Lord and Lady of the Trinacrian Church in Salem, MA. She hosts a weekly radio show in Tampa, FL called “Bringing the Darkness to The Light.” Bruno is a Hereditary High Priestess and Elder of the Sicilian Strega line of the Craft of the Wise, founder and Head Mother of Our Lord and Lady of the Trinacrian Rose Church, Inc. The church was founded in 1993 and is based in Salem, Massachusetts. Lori also founded the Sacred Paths Alliance Network (SPAN) charitable efforts organization, and the Protective Order of Witches and Earth Religions (POWER) in 1995 for religious freedoms. When asked about the meaning of “Witchcraft,” Lori took the very word WITCH and said the following: W is for Wisdom, I is for Integrity, T is for Truth, C is for Courage and H is for Honor. Lori was taught that Priests and Priestess should respect humanity, all living creatures, and above all, one’s self as the Goddess and God abide within. In 1996, Governor Michael Dukakis presented Lori with an award for the “Protection of the Children of the Commonwealth,” which hangs proudly next to her at her shop, Magika. Lori is world renowned, loved by many, and respected throughout her community. To Craft members and non-Crafters, she is affectionately known as “Strega Nona” or “Grandmother Witch.”
GUEST SPEAKER TALK SCHEDULE:
1. Author Rande Goodwin 11:30AM
2. Psychic Witch Rev Catherine Nadal 12:15PM
3. Dr. Richard Ross III 1:00PM
4. “The Shaman & The Showman LLC” 1:45PM
5. Samaia Eldrath (Saturday only) 2:15PM
6. High Priestess Lori Bruno 3:00PM
7. Author Jessica Lucci 3:45PM
8. Author F.R. Rivers 4:30PM
Another attraction is the Hampden County Hexenbruts dance troupe from Western MA – inspired by the lovely ladies from Wolfshäger Hexenbrut, a German dance troupe that performs every year at Walpurgis in German. This group performs and supports other troupes around New England throughout the year to raise funds for local charities and non-profits, participates in community events & activities, and gathers together for fun and frivolity. They will be performing at 11:30am, 1:30pm, and 4pm.
The event is presented by “The Shaman & The Showman LLC,” producers of ParaConn, CT’s Original Paranormal Convention, as well as Salem’s Paranormal & Horror Convention. The website for the festival is www.CTWitchTrialsFest.org.
For further information: phone (203) 795-4737 or email CTWitchTrialsFest@gmail.com
CT WITCH TRIALS FESTIVAL
Saturday and Sunday, August 10 – 11, 2024
Historic Pratt Street, Downtown Hartford CT
www.CTWitchTrialsfest.org (203) 795-4737
https://www.facebook.com/events/1483628385832369
