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Arts & Entertainment

All Aboard The Queen Mary's Magic Fest For Ghost Tours, Brunch & Illusions

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(Photo by William Opdyke via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr)

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The Queen Mary is hosting a weekend festival devoted to magic, illusions and cocktails. FantaSea takes place April 8 to 10 aboard the historical Queen Mary in Long Beach. The Academy of Magical Arts has prepared a number of enchanted performances for guests all weekend long, including dinners, drinks, ghost tours, lectures and intimate parlor tricks.

"We are really excited to introduce FantaSea as the newest signature event aboard The Queen Mary. Working in partnership with the Academy of Magical Arts, we have put together an incredible line-up of award-winning illusionists and magicians who will entertain and deceive guests all weekend long," Steve Sheldon, the Queen Mary's Director of Entertainment Events, said via a statement to LAist.

It's not often one might enjoy being deceived, but magic is funny that way. On Saturday morning, the ship will host the Abracadabra Brunch. Hedge Hog Swing will entertain with jazz while magicians perform tableside tricks and you sip bottomless mimosas. Or later that night, there will be a four-course meal accompanied by a magical stage show.

If you're looking for a cocktail, try the Magic Mixology in the Cauldron, where wizards of a different sort will present a tasting of various spirits. For spirits of another variety, go on the Conjuring After Dark Tour, where you will be led along corridors where previous guests have reported seeing ghostly figures. The Queen Mary, for the record, is listed as one of America's most haunted places—if you believe in that sort of thing. Top lore includes a woman in white who wanders the cabins and B340, the cabin so cursed they had to close it off. You can also go on a less spooky tour of memorabilia from entertainers who have performed onboard in the past.

Wander down the Wizard Alley to shop for curiosities or catch a show on the Wizarding Platform (like Friday's Night of Illusions show), or drop by the Hocus Pocus Parlour & Pub to grab a beer and catch a show or DJ set. Or, learn magic for yourself at the Secret Circle Study.

Each event is available via a single ticket, or you can snag yourself a pass.

FantaSea takes place April 8-10 aboard the Queen Mary, located at 1126 Queens Hwy in Long Beach. Tickets range from $15 to 159.

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