Varla Ventura

writer, traveler, lover of the strange

Radio Ga-Ga: Interviews & Appearances

Upcoming Events

  • Sunday, December 21, 3-5 pm (2025)
    Magical Winter Solstice Workshop:
    Make a festive swag and learn the botanical lore behind common Yule plants.
    ($25/person)

    The Vintage Storyteller
    5260 Hwy 12
    Maple Plain, Minnesota
    Email kari@thevintagestoryteller.com to register.

  • Monday, December 22,
    midnight to 2am PST/2–4 a.m. EST (wee hours of the 23rd, 2025)
    Coast to Coast AM with George Noory

  • Tuesday, December 23, 9-11 p.m. PST/11 p.m. – 1 am. EST (2025)
    Spaced Out Radio with Dave Scott

  • Monday, December 29
    3 p.m. PST/5 p.m. CST/6 p.m. EST (2025)
    The Angel Rock with Lorelei Potvin

  • Tuesday, January 27, 6 p.m. CST (2026)
    Enchanted Plants:
    An Exploration of Common and Uncommon Plants in Folklore and Magic

    Wildwood Library
    763 Stillwater Rd.
    Mahtomedi, MN 55115
    Learn more here.

  • Saturday April 24-Sunday April 25, 2026
    Nebraska Bigfoot Conference
    700 E Stolley Park Road 
    Grand Island, NE 68801

  • Thursday, April 30, 7 p.m. EST (2026)
    The Cottage Garden of Earthly Delights

    The Gardner Museum
    28 Pearl St.
    Gardner, MA 01440

  • Saturday, May 2, 3 p.m. EST (2026)

    Enchanted Plants:
    An Exploration of Common and Uncommon Plants in Folklore and Magic

    Plymouth Public Library
    132 South Street
    Plymouth, MA 02360

  • Thursday, May 14, 6pm EST (2026)
    Enchanted Plants: An Exploration of Common and Uncommon Plants in Folklore and Magic
    (Online event)

    Salem Witch Museum
    19 1/2 N Washington Square
    Salem, MA 01970

  • Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, May 21-23 (2026)

    Spaced Out Radio Fan Party
    Las Vegas, Nevada

  • Wednesday, Oct.7, 7 p.m. EST  (2026)

    Rotten Botany: Bizarre, Beautiful, and Grotesque Plants

    New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill
    11 French Dr, Boylston, MA 01505
    https://nebg.org/

Recent Interviews 

  • Behind the Zine with Jeff Belanger of Shadow Zine
    Watch/listen here. 
  • Paranormal 360 with Dave Schrader: Mark Twain’s Ouija Mystery
    Listen here.
  • KoitCast,  Episode 90: Enchanted Plants, Folklore & The Strange.
    Watch/listen here.
  • Spaced Out Radio with Dave Scott: Watch/listen here
  • Beyond BMR with Bigfoot Michigan Rob
    Watch/listen here:

Recent Past Events

  • Saturday, Oct. 4, 10-11 am EST
    In person: Mark Twain’s Ouija Mystery 
    The remarkable story of a woman, a novel, and a rather famous ghost. 

    South Hadley Public Library
    2 Canal St, South Hadley, MA 01075
    Free, with registration. Learn more here.
  • Sat., Oct. 4, 2025, 4:45 p.m. EST. Live/online: Spectral Evidence Occult Paranormal Conference. The Botany of the Dead. 
    Get tickets HERE.
  • Sunday, Oct. 5, 2pm EST
    In person:
    Wolf’s Bane and Nightshade: The Botany of Werewolves, Witches, and Vampires

    Royalston Town Hall 
    13 On the Common
    Royalston, MA 01368
    Free. Visit here for more information.

  • Tuesday, Oct. 7th, 6:30 pm EST
    In person: 
    Wolf’s Bane and Nightshade: The Botany of Werewolves, Witches, and Vampires
    Berlin Public Library and 19 Carter 
    19 Carter St. 
    Berlin, MA 01503
    Free. Learn more here.
  • Wednesday, Oct. 8th, 6pm EST 
    In person: 
    Wolf’s Bane and Nightshade: The Botany of Werewolves, Witches, and Vampires
    Levi Heywood Memorial Library 
    55 W Lynde St, Gardner, MA 01440
    Free. Learn more here.
  • Thursday, Oct. 9th, 4:30 p.m. EST
    In person:

    Paranormal Parlor: A Brief History of Women, Spiritualism, and the Paranormal
    Plymouth Public Library
    132 South St.
    Plymouth, MA 02360
    Free with registration. Register here

  • Friday, Oct. 10th, 7-10 p.m. EST
    Dining with the Dead with Ron Kolek 
    Sponge Cake at Funerals and Other Bizarre Death Rituals 

    The Village Inn
    544 Broadway Road
    Dracut, Massachusetts 01826
    Includes dinner. $59. Tickets available here

  •  Saturday, Oct. 11th, 2pm EST
    In person: Rotten Botany: Bizarre, Beautiful, and Grotesque Plants
    Morse Institute Library
    14 E Central St, Natick, MA 01760
    Free. Registration is encouraged. Click here to learn more.
  • Saturday, Oct. 25th, midnight EST. 
    Ravenstar’s Witching Hour with Solaris Blueraven.
    More info at Revolution Radio.
  • Sunday, Oct. 26th, 2-4 pm CST. 
    In person: The Witch’s Garden: Magic, Monsters, and Medicine
    The Vintage Storyteller 
    5260 US-12, Maple Plain, MN 55359
    Learn more here.
  • Oct. 31-Nov. 2, 2025, (exact time TBD) Ancestral Pathways Conference: Wolf’s Bane: Aconite, Lycanthropic Streams and Other Means of Becoming a Werewolf (online). Learn more and get tickets here
  • Friday, March 7, 7 pm EST: Botanica Obscura Conference
    The Poison Apple: Magic, Medicine, and Mayhem of a Fairy Tale Fruit 
    (live/virtual) Visit botanicaobscuraconference.com for tickets
  • Saturday, April 5 (or early am April 6) 12am – 2am, PST, 3 am – 5am EST: Coast to Coast AM
    The show starts on Saturday night at 10 pm, so the date is technically April 5 but I will be on as the second guest which starts at midnight. You know the drill! 
    https://www.coasttocoastam.com/
  • Monday, April 7, 5-7 pm CST, 6-8 pm EST: The Angel Rock with Lorilei Potvin
    Watch and listen here
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwz60D2C3
  • Friday, April 11: Spirit Switchboard with Kerrilynn Shellhorn LIVE on UPRN
    Watch and listen here
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCLsj4WCrAE
  • Monday, April 14, 5 pm:  Instagram live with Joe Diamond
    Join us: 
    @joediamondlive
  • Wednesday, April 30, 7pm EST: Ghost Chronicles with Ron Kolek, listen here: 
    https://toginet.com/shows/ghostchronicles
  • Saturday, May 3, 12-2pm CST:
    In person
    at The Vintage Storyteller
    5260 US-12
    Maple Plain, MN 55359
  • Monday, May 12, 6-8 pm CST: Enchanted Plants: A Botanical Book Launch

    At the White Bear Center for the Arts. In person. Event is free, but please visit wbca.org to register so we can get an accurate headcount.

  • Wednesday, May 21, 6–7:30 pm EST: Levi Heywood Memorial Library
    Enchanted Plants: An Exploration of Common and Uncommon Plants in Folklore and Magic
    In person at:
    Levi Heywood Memorial Library
    55 W Lynde St, Gardner, MA 01440
    Learn more about the event here.
  • Thursday, May 22, 7 pm EST: Medway Public Library
    Enchanted Plants: An Exploration of Common and Uncommon Plants in Folklore and Magic
    In person at:
    Medway Public Library
    26 High St, Medway, MA 02053
    You can register here if you’d like an email reminder.
  • Tuesday, May 27, 7–8 pm EST: Morse Institute Library
    Enchanted Plants: An Exploration of Common and Uncommon Plants in Folklore and Magic
    In person at:
    Morse Institute Library
    14 E Central St, Natick, MA 01760
    Registration is encouraged. Click here to learn more.
  • Wednesday, May 28, 6:30 pm EST:

    Lunenburg Public Library
    Enchanted Plants: An Exploration of Common and Uncommon Plants in Folklore and Magic
    In person at:
    Lunenburg Public Library
    1023 Massachusetts Ave.
    Lunenburg, MA 01462
    Registration is encouraged for this event. Learn more here

  • Thursday, May 29, 7pm EST: Morrill Memorial Library
    Enchanted Plants: An Exploration of Common and Uncommon Plants in Folklore and Magic
    In person at:
    Morrill Memorial Library
    33 Walpole St, Norwood, MA 02062
    Note that registration is encouraged. Learn more here.
  • Friday, May 30, 7-10 pm EST: Dining with the Dead at the Village Inn
    Mark Twain’s Ouija Mystery: Dining with the Dead with Ron Kolek
    at The Village Inn
    544 Broadway Road
    Dracut, MA 01826
    7-10 pm
    This is a ticketed event that includes dinner. Get tickets here
    https://www.neghostproject.com/DiningDead.htm
  • Saturday, May 31, 10 am EST:  South Hadley Public Library

    Enchanted Plants: An Exploration of Common and Uncommon Plants in Folklore and Magic
    In person at:
    South Hadley Public Library
    2 Canal St, South Hadley, MA 01075
    Learn more here

  • Monday, June 2nd, 6:30 pm: Woburn Public Library
    Enchanted Plants: An Exploration of Common and Uncommon Plants in Folklore and Magic
    In person at:
    Woburn Public Library 
    45 Pleasant St, Woburn, MA. Learn more here.

     

  • Tuesday, June 3rd, 6pm: Berlin Public Library 
    The Cottage Garden of Earthly Delights: Humble Foods in Story and Legend 
    In person at:
    Berlin Public Library 
    23 Carter St, Berlin, MA 01503

    Learn more here

  • Friday, July 11, 10-11:30 am: Book signing in person at 
    Lake Country Books
    4766 Washington Ave.
    White Bear Lake, MN, 55110
  • Tuesday, July 29, 6pm: Plymouth Public Library 
    Rotten Botany: Bizarre, Beautiful, and Grotesque Plants
    In person at: Plymouth Public Library
    132 South St.
    Plymouth, MA 02360

Image by Daniel von Appen via Unsplas

Radio Ga-Ga: Interviews, Podcasts, Appearances

 

Coming soon…

 

Image by Daniel von Appen via Unsplash