The TalkDeath Cemetery Scavenger Hunt encourages people to appreciate and learn about local cemeteries and their histories. It invites community members to visit cemeteries, reducing stigma and demonstrating that cemeteries can be spaces for the living. Participants learn about memorial iconography and history, connect with their community, spend time with friends and loved ones, and reflect on mortality.
This year’s Cemetery Scavenger Hunt will be on Sunday, October 26th at 2:30 pm ET/ 1:30pm CT/ 12:30pm MT/ 11:30am PT! You can attend and participate at any local cemetery of your choice that is open to the public. While we strive to include a spectrum of clues, the more historic and diverse your cemetery, the wider variety of clues you’re likely to find (think older cemeteries that have upright monuments and gravemarkers). We cannot guarantee that every cemetery has every clue, but we do try our best to ensure folks participating across diverse regions and cultures will be able participate, learn more about their cemetery, and have a good time.
How TalkDeath’s Halloween Cemetery Scavenger Hunt Works:
Invite your friends and check in with your local death collectives to see if they are participating as well. The more, the spookier!
- Arrive at your local cemetery of choice at least 10 minutes before the start time
- Wait for the clues to drop at at 2:30pm ET/ 11:30am PT (clues are simultaneously posted on our Instagram, Facebook, and our website)
- Explore the cemetery looking for monuments that match the clues (think symbolism, names, dates, etc.) within 45 minutes
- When you find a clue, take a selfie with it (selfie can simply include your hand – something to identify it’s you in all photos)
- Upload all found clues in the provided form and submit before the end of the 45 minutes (link to form will be shared closer to event date)
- Winners will be announced an hour after clues are due
- Prizes will be awarded to whoever finds 13 clues first, the highest number of clues found, and accolades such as most creative photography!
More details, rules and clues to come, so stay tuned on our socials to keep in the loop!
Raising Funds for The Black Cemetery Network
We are so excited to share that this year’s event is especially special as we’ll be raising funds for the Black Cemetery Network. The Black Cemetery Network (BCN) is a national platform for highlighting activities to identify, interpret, preserve, and record African American burial grounds and their histories. Emphasis is placed on identifying, honoring, archiving, and preserving historic Black Cemeteries that have been erased, marginalized, underfunded, unmarked, or abandoned. These cemeteries contain stories about people, places, and families that are often missing from hometown histories and the larger public narrative.
By working in partnership with people and organizations actively engaged in protecting the legacy of Black cemeteries in their communities, the BCN is helping to ensure that stories told on their platform may be shared for years to come.