Planning to cross the veil this weekend? Here's your field guide to Strange & Extraordinary Fest 2025—Austin's immersive celebration of haunted artifacts, live investigations, and uncanny encounters—happening Saturday, November 22 at KMFA 89.5 Studio. We've packed this with the essential details plus local-insider intel to help you score the best experiences, skip lines, and get the most for your ticket. You can also cross‑check details via the official Visit Austin event listing for broader city context.

Essential Details

• Date and time: Saturday, November 22, 2025, 12:00 PM–11:00 PM
• Location: KMFA 89.5 Studio (KMFA Austin Studios), 41 Navasota Street, Austin, TX 78702
• Core schedule:
  • Haunted Museum & Bizarre Bazaar: 11:30 AM–6:30 PM
  • Talks & Lectures: 12:00 PM–8:00 PM
  • VIP After-Hours Experience: 8:00 PM–10:30 PM
• Official site: https://www.strangeandextraordinaryfest.com — for deeper FAQs and expectations, skim the fest’s own About page before you go.
• Social: @strangeandextraordinaryfest
• Organized by: Empress Event Experience + ND Parahouse

What's Inside the Fest

• ParaPeculiar Museum of Haunted Items: See the famed Hill House Chair and the Haunted Mirror up close. For a deeper, folklore‑heavy lens on why objects like this fascinate people, Smithsonian Magazine’s coverage of American hauntings and folklore is a fun rabbit hole.
• Live Investigation Tech: Interactive ITC setup with spirit boxes, radios, and pro-grade paranormal equipment. If you’re curious about the science‑meets‑mystery side, the Instrumental Transcommunication (ITC) Research Center aggregates experiments and data on this tech.
• Live Parapeculiar Podcast Recording: Be part of the audience energy as investigators go deep on the unexplained.
• Interactive Séance (VIP only): Intimate tables capped at 8 guests for focused, guided work.
• Bizarre Bazaar: 20+ vendors with art, curiosities, oddities, books, tools, and more. If you love curated weirdness and local makers, it has a similar energy to The Front Market Fall 2025: Insider Guide to Austin's Creative Supermarket at Waterloo Park. If you want a sneak preview of that aesthetic, browsing Etsy’s oddities and curiosities collections gives you the vibe.
• Skeleton Key Bar: Fest-exclusive beverages; VIPs also get Haunted Happy Hour access during the After-Hours block.

Tickets and Pricing (buy online—door is +$10)

• VIP Adventurer – $250: All-access to everything, including the Bizarre Bazaar, Haunted Mini-Museum, all sessions, Live Podcast Recording, Interactive Séance with 1:1 speaker time, and VIP-only Haunted Happy Hour.
• Explorer – $100: Bazaar + Haunted Mini-Museum + all sessions + Live Podcast Recording.
• Traveler – $35: Bazaar + Haunted Mini-Museum only (amazing value if you're tight on time). If you're also stacking other seasonal outings, you can pair this with ideas from Austin Holiday Market Hacks: The Free-and-Low-Cost Gift Game Plan Only Locals Know.
• Observer (Virtual) – $50: Livestream access. If you like building out your virtual‑event setup, Eventbrite’s own virtual events best‑practices guide has smart tips that apply here too.

Why VIP Is the Power Move

• Guaranteed access to the small-format Interactive Séance (8 guests per table).
• After-Hours exclusivity (8:00–10:30 PM) with Haunted Happy Hour, lighter crowds, and meaningful 1:1 time with speakers/investigators.
• Best way to experience the investigation tech without rushing between sessions. For night owls planning a bigger evening, you can also layer this with ideas from Austin's Holiday Nightlife Playbook 2025: Pro Tips for Miracle on 5th Street, Storm‑Savvy Nights, and Seasonal Wins.

"

If you can swing it, go VIP—this is the tier that turns the fest from “fun afternoon” into a slow, intentional deep-dive into the paranormal.

Venue and Getting There

• Address: 41 Navasota Street, Austin, TX 78702 (Downtown/Eastside fringe)
• Parking: The on-site lot is small and fills quickly. Use rideshare for the least friction, or backstop your plan with a pre‑booked spot via ParkWhiz’s Austin parking map. If you’re new to this side of town, cross‑check your plan with the Austin Visitor Center Moves to 5th Street: The Insider Playbook Locals Use (Timing, Parking, Coffee, and Hidden Perks) for downtown‑area norms.
• Rideshare drop: Pin to KMFA 89.5 Studio; watch for event signage and staff guidance near the entrance. If you’d rather use transit, CapMetro’s Trip Planner for Austin covers bus and rail options to the area.

Today's Weather Intel

• Current conditions (as of publish): 76°F, mostly sunny, 30% chance of precipitation, 72% humidity.
• What that means for you: It'll feel warm and muggy for mid-day arrivals; plan breathable layers and comfy shoes for standing and browsing the Bazaar. Evenings trend cooler—bring a light layer for post-8 PM VIP programming. Check the hour-by-hour forecast again Saturday morning using the National Weather Service Austin/San Antonio forecast. If the weather swings stormy or chilly, you can borrow a few tactics from Austin's Holiday Nightlife Playbook 2025: Pro Tips for Miracle on 5th Street, Storm‑Savvy Nights, and Seasonal Wins.

How to Plan Your Day (Sample Strategy)

• 11:30 AM: Be at doors for the Haunted Museum and Bazaar opening. You'll get the best artifact access and vendor inventory with minimal lines.
• 12:00–4:00 PM: Stack talks and live demos early. The live ITC demonstration is a standout if you want cutting-edge paranormal methods. If you like reading on how investigators frame these sessions, The Atlantic’s reporting on ghost hunting and paranormal investigations adds a skeptical-but-curious perspective.
• 4:00–6:30 PM: Second pass through the Bazaar and museum; pick up items you earmarked.
• 6:30–8:00 PM: Final talks/podcast recording window—secure your seat early. Pre‑game with a solid meal nearby so you’re not starving mid‑session; if you’re exploring other experiential venues on a different night, bookmark Eureka Room Austin: The No‑Spoiler Insider Playbook (Booking, Timing, and How to Do It Right).
• 8:00–10:30 PM (VIP): After-Hours experience + Interactive Séance + Haunted Happy Hour. Arrive to your séance table five minutes early for orientation.

Insider Intelligence: Local-Pro Tips

• Hit the doors at 11:30 AM: You'll glide through the museum and Bazaar before peak traffic.
• Buy online: Door prices are $10 higher across all tiers and may sell out—a double whammy.
• VIP maximizes the "why" of this fest: séance spots are limited (8 people per table), and After-Hours creates the calm, deep-dive ambience you're seeking.
• On a budget? Traveler at $35 is the sweet spot for museum + Bazaar; you can still see artifacts, meet vendors, and soak the vibe. For more budget‑friendly ideas around town that match the “weird and wonderful” theme, check out Cathedral of Junk Austin: Appointment-Only Guide with Pro Tips You Won't Find on Google.
• Prioritize the ITC demo: It's where you'll see modern paranormal techniques in action with spirit boxes and radios.
• Rideshare > parking: The lot is small. Save time and skip the loop.
• Hydration and breaks: The Skeleton Key Bar anchors the social flow; plan a mid-afternoon recharge there to reset before evening sessions.

Accessibility and Flow Notes

• Capacity crunch points: Museum exhibit rooms during mid-day and pre-podcast time. Go early or circle back late afternoon.
• Séance etiquette: Phones on silent, keep questions concise, and follow the facilitator's lead to maintain a focused circle. If you’re curious how events think about inclusion behind the scenes, the DOJ’s ADA guide for event planners outlines accessibility best practices.
• Merch strategy: If you love it, buy it—unique oddities and artist runs may not be restocked by evening. If you’re also browsing other markets this season, the strategy in Austin Holiday Market Hacks: The Free-and-Low-Cost Gift Game Plan Only Locals Know applies here too.

Choosing Your Ticket in 20 Seconds

• I want everything, small-group séance, After-Hours: VIP Adventurer ($250)
• I want all talks, museum, bazaar, podcast, but can skip VIP perks: Explorer ($100)
• I'm here for the artifacts and vendors only: Traveler ($35)
• I'm remote: Observer (Virtual, $50)

Key Experiences You Shouldn't Miss

• ParaPeculiar Museum highlights: The Hill House Chair and the Haunted Mirror.
• Live Parapeculiar Podcast Recording: Shared energy, spontaneous Q&A moments.
• ITC Lab: Experience responses and anomalies via spirit boxes and tuned radios.
• VIP Haunted Happy Hour: Exclusive social time with creators and investigators.

Quick Logistics

• Check-in: Have your mobile ticket ready. VIPs will receive guidance for séance seating and After-Hours flow.
• Food/drink: Skeleton Key Bar on site for beverages; plan a snack strategy before prime session windows. If you’re turning this into a full‑day outing, you can slot in a proper sit‑down meal nearby on another day using ideas from Shallots Indian Cuisine Austin: The Insider Dosa + South Indian Breakfast Playbook (Timing, Ordering Hacks, Weather-Smart Strategy).
• Timebox your must-dos: Mark your "no-miss" items in the 12–8 PM block so you're clear for VIP After-Hours.

Map and Official Sources

• Official festival site (tickets, schedule, FAQs): https://www.strangeandextraordinaryfest.com
• Venue: KMFA 89.5 (event hosted at KMFA Austin Studios): https://www.kmfa.org
• Directions to 41 Navasota Street: https://maps.google.com/?q=41+Navasota+Street,+Austin,+TX+78702
• KMFA Studios on Google Maps (navigation and live traffic): https://www.google.com/maps/place/KMFA+Classical+89.5/@30.261267,-97.736021,17z/

Internal Guides to Help You Plan

• Eastside parking and rideshare tips: /austin/eastside-parking-rideshare
• November events in Austin (plan your full weekend): /austin/november-events-guide — pair this fest with music picks from The Thursday Drop: Austin's Weekend Music Hit List (Nov 21–24) + Thanksgiving Preview. For broader context on how this fits into the city’s culture calendar, Visit Austin’s official events listings are useful too.
• Best holiday markets and oddities bazaars: /austin/holiday-bazaars-markets
• KMFA Austin Studios area guide (nearby eats and coffee): /austin/kmfa-studios-guide

The Bottom Line
If you're curious about the unseen—and want more than a passive lecture—Strange & Extraordinary Fest delivers hands-on investigation, intimate séance circles, and a treasure trove of oddities. Buy online to save $10, arrive right at 11:30 AM to float through the museum and Bazaar, and if you can swing it, go VIP for the calm, connective After-Hours glow. See you on Navasota Street.