PHILIPPI, W.Va. (WBOY) — Back in the 1960s, Philippi, West Virginia native Ted Cassidy brought the original Addams Family character Lurch to life for the first time. And at this year’s Lurch Fest, Cassidy’s son Sean will step into Lurch’s giant shoes to bring the character back to life.
The “Son of Lurch” transformation event will take place on Friday, Aug. 4 during the annual Philippi festival and will even be completed by Ted’s biographer and makeup artist, Christofer Cook. This will be the first time that Sean has portrayed the character, according to a release from Cook, who will make him “look as much like his father in the role as possible.”
The third annual Lurch Fest will also include Ted Cassidy trivia on Friday, and on Saturday, the fest will continue with more than 30 vendors selling “Lurch Merch,” food and art, live music, craft beer, ax throwing, and a costume contest with two categories—best Ted Cassidy and best Addams Family.
Last year’s fest was Cook’s first time attending, and he said in an interview with 12 News that his favorite part of the festival was people from Philippi telling him stories about Cassidy. “people keep coming up to me and telling me these great stories about their grand pappies, and their nanas, their moms, uncles and dads who went to school with Ted Cassidy,” he said.
The festival is free to the public and will take place on Museum Street in Philippi. Watch previous coverage of the second annual Lurch Fest in 2022 in the player above.
