They’re all just another evening at the local cemetery. In a move that has drawn sharp criticism, cemeteries all over the country are marketing new business by inviting the community to enjoy the surroundings and have a good time. “It gets [the people] into the cemetery but not in a scary way,” says William F. Griswold, Jr. superintendent of Cedar Hill Cemetery in Hartford, Conn.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Fairmount Cemetery in Denver had a night of big band music, Davis Cemetery in California planned poetry workshops, bird walks, and art shows. Wyulka Cemetery in Nebraska schedules an annual Shakespeare festival and rents a quaint chapel for weddings.
One cemetery in Michigan has long invited disabled children to fish, but today the stakes are even higher.
Because more and more people are opting for cremation, the cemeteries are losing out and trying hard to regain lost ground. (Sorry for the pun).
This year Evergreen Memorial in Riverside, Calif. hosted its first fair with clowns and music.
Of course, not all festivities work out. A recent sock hop in Denver bombed--not because it wasn't well planned but because the regulars were elderly and couldn’t dance very much.
But morticians are unstoppable. Armed with the motto: “Meet us before you need us,” the programs are gaining popularity.
Of course there are a few distractors.
“These are sacred grounds—they’re consecrated,” says Rob Visconte with the Catholic Cemetery Association, while cemetery directors, who have brought entertainment to their areas, say they’ve only received a few complaints.
And why should regular folk put up a fuss? Who can argue against having fun?
It not only gives people a chance to have a good time, but it also offers those long term residents resting underneath a change of scenery, a little action. Put some life back into the dead, if you will.
Hey, my father loved big band music and would've loved a live performance of “In the Mood” like they'd performed at the Fairmount Cemetery in Denver.
And clowns always made my mother laugh.
And who can pass up fishing and fairs?
“People tend to go to places they’re familiar with,” says Ken Katuin, an entrepreneur. “That’s why McDonald’s has Happy Meals. You start out there as a kid, you have a happy memory of the place, and you keep coming back.” Mr. Katuin looked at the other couples strolling through the graveyard. “Maybe this….is their Happy Meal.”
So take a bite and join the fun.
P.S. Have a great holiday weekend, and if anyone has suggestions for future blogs, please let me know. I'd love to do them!
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