This weekend, acolytes of the occult gathered at Victoria’s Black Swan Inn for the chance to meet haunted doll Annabelle at the Psychic and Spirit Fest.
This was the fourth annual installment of the gathering, which drew roughly 1,200 attendees to one of the most haunted locales in San Antonio, according to its proprietors. A seemingly endless line snaked around the parking lot as people braved the punishingly hot sun just for the chance to snag a limited number of remaining tickets.
The event was organized by Curious Twins Paranormal, who lead ghost tours and other spooky happenings in San Antonio.
Once inside the festival, visitors had an array of booths to browse, which offered psychic readings, potions, poultices, tea leaf readings and mediums ready to receive missives from the beyond. The show also include a day-long program of speakers, composed of demonologists, podcasters and paranormal investigators.
Attendees paid nearly $100 for the chance to meet the reportedly haunted doll Annabelle, made famous by Connecticut demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren. The doll’s infamy grew further with the “Annabelle” movie franchise, which purported to dramatize the pair’s encounter with the cursed object.
Some say the Raggedy Ann doll is responsible for fatal crashes and strange happenings wherever she goes, which last included the Big Easy.
“Haunted doll Annabelle played all kinds of tricks on New Orleans,” a NOLA friend warned me ahead of the doll’s visit. “Nottoway Plantation burned to the ground, 11 inmates escaped [Orleans Parish Prison]. She’s headed your way so keep an eye open for her shenanigans.”
“I just met her,” I said.
Luckily, I was protected. Daniel Rivera is an official with the Warrens’ Occult Museum in Connecticut, which displays the Annabelle doll when it’s not touring the country. Rivera, who accompanied the doll on its tour, assured me he had safeguards in place.
Rivera built the box that houses Annabelle behind glass with a sign that reads, “WARNING – POSITIVELY DO NOT OPEN.” The wooden box was built with three crosses inlayed, which represent the trinity, he explained.
“If I’m going to be handling this, I’m going to put all my faith into it,” Rivera told one of the patrons in the presence of Annabelle while haunting choral music played on a speaker system.
We also had spiritual protection on hand by way of Father Bob Bailey, who specializes in exorcisms. Father Bob laid his hand on the forehead of any spectator who required a blessing to ensure Annabelle’s spirit wouldn’t follow them home and wreak havoc with their lives. As an additional safeguard, a priest had performed a binding ritual on the case Annabelle was in, and the Lord’s Prayer also was inscribed in the velvet behind the doll.
Rivera said the Warrens’ Occult Museum also has a priest bless the space once a month.
“Is it 100% going to protect all of us? No, because we’re dealing with something that’s demonic,” Rivera added. “It has the wisdom of time.”
The line to meet the haunted doll didn’t die down the entire day at the festival. Victoria’s Black Swan Inn, which sold out of tickets online well in advance of festival day, also added a second museum day on Sunday for yet another chance to encounter the infamous haunted object. Attendees had even traveled from as far away as Oklahoma, Dallas and Houston to meet the demonic doll.
Ahead of Annabelle’s visit, a video teasing the doll’s arrival went mega-viral on TikTok, racking up 10.5 million views. As the anticipation reached a fever pitch in the Alamo City, local residents created memes depicting Annabelle visiting the River Walk and other landmarks.
The next day, as I got on a motorcycle, I briefly wondered if the Annabelle effect would end my days on the road. Thankfully, it seems the demon doll had spared me — at least, for now . . .
