A Tribute to Harry Houdini

November 03, 2026
12:00pm - 1:00pm

This Halloween marked a century since Harry Houdini’s passing, yet his name remains synonymous with magic, mystery and impossible escapes. As a tribute, magician Darrin Race will perform “100 Years of Houdini’s Legacy,” which includes a magic show featuring comedy, mystery, and audience participation. It concludes with Race performing a Houdini-inspired straitjacket escape. According to “How Houdini Did It,” a William Lindsey Gresham article appearing in the December 1954 issue of "True Magazine," Houdini performed a handcuff escape while jumping from a bridge in Wheeling. The article was accompanied by a dramatic Tom Lovell illustration depicting Houdini in the act of diving from what resembles the Steel Bridge. The story is apocryphal, but adds to the local interest for this program.

Darrin Race's fascination with magic began in Columbia, South Carolina, with a 50-cent magic kit purchased at a yard sale. That childhood interest grew into a professional career spanning more than four decades, including 35 years living and working in Las Vegas. Race has performed throughout the country and has had the opportunity to work with or for entertainers and celebrities including Lance Burton, Engelbert Humperdinck, David Copperfield, Kevin James, Kurt Russell and Kevin Costner. In addition to performing, Race is a magic prop and illusion fabricator who designs and builds specialized equipment for professional performers.