The Before I Die New Mexico Festival offers a range of upbeat events in Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Taos, and Espanola, New Mexico, from November 3 to 10, 2019. Most events are free!

Attendees can enter a drawing to win two burial plots at La Puerta Natural Burial Ground,  a cremation niche at Fairview Memorial Park or at Sunset Memorial Park, the MyFinalChecklist comprehensive planner system, and other end-of-life products and services.

Attendees are welcome to visit the La Puerta Natural Burial Ground, located southeast of Belen, NM, any day during the Festival. For questions, call Donal Key at 505.716.2543 or Linda Canyon at 505.360.4480. Directions are available at www.NaturalBurialNewMexico.com.

For a print version of this schedule, call 505.265.7215. Watch this funny online video promoting the Festival!

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 3 – ALBUQUERQUE & TAOS

Mariachi artwork by Sean Wells

ALBUQUERQUE 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Day of the Dead Celebration at Fairview Memorial Park, 700 Yale Blvd. SE, Albuquerque 87106. PH: 505.933.4140. The public is invited to wear costumes and makeup celebrating Dia de los Muertos. A mariachi band will lead a parade through the cemetery, plus food trucks, face painting, muerto artwork, low riders on display, and a rosary walk in the park’s unique Rosary Garden.

TAOS 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Attend the first monthly series of Taos Death Cafés, co-hosted by Death Café U.S. pioneer Gail Rubin, CT, Wendy Shuey, end-of-life doula, and Reverend Susan Varon. Savory and sweet snacks will be offered. Taking place at Golden Willow (in-town office), 412 Sipapu Road, Taos. PH: 213.999.3790.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 4 – TAOS

Events will take place at DeVargas Funeral Home, 1520 Paseo del Pueblo Sur, Taos 87571 | PH: 575.300.5288

10:00 a.m. Play The Newly-Dead Game® Individuals Edition, created by Gail Rubin, CT, The Doyenne of Death®. She will also present “Lessons on Grief and Mourning in Cartoons.”

11:30 a.m. to noon Mortuary tour – go behind the scenes at DeVargas Funeral Home and get your questions answered, from embalming to casketing and cremation to life celebrations.

Noon to 1:00 p.m. Q&A with a Funeral Director – lunch will be provided.

1:15 to 2:15 p.m. Planning Workshop – An introduction to advance healthcare directives and The Conversation Project by Jan Wilson.

2:30 to 3:30 p.m. Concurrent Workshops – Daniel Gaillour speaks on aging in place, Jan Wilson conducts a hands-on workshop preparing advance medical directives.

3:45 to 4:45 p.m. The Benefits of Writing Letters to the Dead – Annie Mattingley, author of The After Death Chronicles, demonstrates how common, healing and accessible contact with our deceased beloveds can be.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5 – ESPAÑOLA

Events will take place at DeVargas Funeral Home, 623 North Railroad Ave., Espanola 87532 | PH: 505.747.7477

10:00 a.m. Play The Newly-Dead Game® Individuals Edition, an innovative game created and emceed by Gail Rubin, The Doyenne of Death®. The questions and your answers will kickstart the Death Café conversations immediately following, an opportunity to discuss questions and concerns about mortality.

11:30 a.m. to noon Mortuary tour – Learn about the operations at DeVargas Funeral Home and get your questions answered, from embalming to casketing and cremation to life celebrations.

Noon to 1:00 p.m. Q&A with a Funeral Director – lunch will be provided.

1:15 to 2:15 p.m. Workshop – An introduction to advance healthcare directives and The Conversation Project by Jan Wilson.

2:30 to 3:30 p.m. Concurrent Workshops – Daniel Gaillour speaks on aging in place, Jan Wilson conducts a hands-on workshop preparing advance medical directives.

3:45 to 5:00 p.m. Laughing in the Face of Death: Funny Films for Funeral Planning – Gail Rubin, CT, The Doyenne of Death®, presents comedy film clips that illustrate the benefits and importance of preneed funeral planning. A funeral director answers your questions, too!

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 6 – SANTA FE

Events will take place at the Berardinelli McGee Life Event Center, 1320 Luisa Street, Santa Fe | PH: 505.984.8600

9:00 a.m. Play The Newly-Dead Game® Individuals Edition, an innovative game created and emceed by Gail Rubin, The Doyenne of Death®. The questions and your answers will kickstart the Death Café conversations immediately following.

10:00 a.m. to noon Workshop: Take Charge Now – The What, Why, Who and How of Advance Healthcare Directives. Jan Wilson with Compassion & Choices New Mexico Action Team teaches you how to control your medical care, especially regarding end-of-life issues.

Noon to 1:00 p.m. How to Write a Memorable Life Short Story: Petra Lina Orloff, president and CEO of Beloved, speaks on how to write a personalized obituary that tells your life story in a memorable way.

1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. What Is a Death Doula? Learn about what death doulas do, with a panel of Santa Fe doulas ChrisTina Simek, Jane Turner, Katharine Gates and others answering your questions.

2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Is There Life After Death? Explore different aspects of after-death communications with Judith Fein, author of How to Communicate With The Dead, Annie Mattingley, author of The After Death Chronicles, Bethany Paix, Angels Helping Humans, and Andrea Campbell, therapist and moderator.

4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Estate Planning Issues Learn what you need to know before you go regarding wills, trusts, and other legal issues related to end-of-life with Jim Plitz, estate planning attorney with Morris Hall, PLLC.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 7 – ALBUQUERQUE

Daytime events take place at Strong-Thorne Funeral Home, 1100 Coal Ave. SE, Albuquerque | PH:505.842.8800

10:00 to 11:00 a.m. Mortuary Tour – go behind the scenes at Strong-Thorne Funeral Home, built in 1909.

11:15 to 12:15 Q&A with a Funeral Director

12:30 to 2:00 p.m. Death Café – open discussion over lunch (provided).

2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Estate Planning Issues Learn what you need to know before you go regarding wills, trusts, and other legal issues related to end-of-life with Jim Plitz, estate planning attorney with Morris Hall, PLLC.

3:00 to 4:00 p.m. How to Write a Memorable Life Short Story: Petra Lina Orloff, president and CEO of Beloved, speaks on how to write a personalized obituary that tells your life story in a memorable way.

7:00 to 8:30 p.m. Millennial Morticians with ABQ Brews – A panel of young local funeral directors answer your questions about undertaking at Tractor Brewing Company Wells Park location, 1800 4^th Street NW. Have a craft beer and join in the conversation!

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 8 – ALBUQUERQUE

Events will take place at Sunset Memorial Park, 924 Menaul Blvd. NE, Albuquerque | PH: 505.345.3536

10:00 to 11:00 a.m. Pet Crematory Tour – go behind the scenes at Best Friends Pet Cremations and learn how French Funerals also cares for the furry, finned and feathered members of your family.

11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Death Café – open discussion over lunch (provided) in the Sunset House in Sunset Memorial Park.

1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Crematory Tour – learn what cremation involves and go behind the scenes to see what cremated remains look like before they are removed from the retort. Location: The Chester T. French Memorial Mausoleum Chapel.

3:30 to 5:00 p.m. Laughing in the Face of Death: Funny Films for Funeral Planning – Gail Rubin, CT, The Doyenne of Death®, presents comedy film clips that illustrate the benefits and importance of preneed funeral planning. A funeral director answers your questions, too! Location: The Chester T. French Memorial Mausoleum Chapel.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 9 – ALBUQUERQUE

8:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Before I Die NM Symposium in the Sunset House at Sunset Memorial Park.

This half-day symposium helps you address important aspects of life and death in these four sessions:

• 8:00 to 8:50 a.m. What Does It Feel Like to Die? Author and long-time hospice worker Jennie Dear demystifies death, how people think about dying, how to plan for the inevitable, and how to start a conversation.
• 9:00 a.m. to 9:50 a.m. Your Personal History: Learn how to do genealogy research to discover the roots of your family tree with writer/teacher/researcher Molly Shannon.
• 10:00 a.m. to 10:50 a.m. We Love Our Pets: A panel discussion of pet loss issues and how to plan ahead. Panelists are Ann Beyke, MA, pet loss counselor, Dr. Jeff Nichol, DVM, veterinarian, and Julie Keller with Best Friends Pet Cremations.
• 11:00 a.m. to noon The Funeral Director on Film: Learn the history of undertaking through film clips that trace the development of the industry in the United States and illuminate issues consumers need to know, presented by Gail Rubin, CT, The Doyenne of Death®.

Attendees will have the opportunity to connect with the symposium speakers and buy their books during breaks and at the end of the symposium. Festival sponsors will also offer valuable information at display tables around the room during the symposium.

Noon to 4:00 p.m. Mortuary Mall and Before I Die Wall – Providers of caskets, urns, memorial markers and other funeral and cremation products will display items and answer your questions. Complete the sentence, “Before I Die…” on the giant chalkboards at Sunset’s Cremation Garden Pavilion. Located at Sunset Memorial Park, 924 Menaul NE. | PH: 505.345.3536

1:00 p.m. Movie: SOLACE: THE WISDOM OF THE DYING at The Guild Cinema, 3405 Central Avenue NE. This celebrated documentary by Santa Fe hospice nurse Camille Adair grew from her intimate experiences with people at the end of their lives. It offers practical and authentic wisdom from experts and everyday people facing their mortality. The screening will be followed by a Q&A with Grant Thornton, the film’s co-editor and director of photography. Tickets $5-$8. PH: 505.255.1848

1:00 to 3:00 p.m. Workshop: Take Charge Now – The What, Why, Who and How of Advance Healthcare Directives. Jan Wilson with Compassion & Choices New Mexico Action Team teaches you how to control your medical care, especially regarding end-of-life issues. Located in the Sunset House at Sunset Memorial Park, 924 Menaul NE. PH: 505.345.3536

3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. What Is a Death Doula? Learn about what death doulas do, with this panel discussion where you can ask questions and get answers.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 10 – ALBUQUERQUE

Caskets by Fathers Building Futures

10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Jewish Burial is Green Burial – Three one-hour sessions on green burial (at 10:00 a.m.), a demonstration of the tahara ritual (at 11:00 a.m.), and a discussion about the spirits of the deceased (at noon). Taking place at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Albuquerque, 5520 Wyoming Blvd. NE, Rooms 103/104. | For questions call Festival Organizer Gail Rubin at 505.265.7215.

1:00 p.m. Movie: THE PRINCESS BRIDE at The Guild Cinema, 3405 Central Avenue NE. Famous for the line, “Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.” We can all laugh and learn about pre-need funeral planning from this classic comedy. Tickets $5-$8. | PH: 505.255.1848

FESTIVAL CHARITABLE PARTNER

Part of the sponsorship proceeds from Before I Die NM are donated to charitable partner Fathers Building Futures (www.FathersBuildingFutures.org). The nonprofit provides on-the-job training to formerly incarcerated fathers to reduce recidivism. They make biodegradable and kosher caskets, urns, and other wood products.

FESTIVAL SPONSORS & PARTNERS

The Before I Die New Mexico Festival is made possible by:

• A Good Goodbye – Pioneering death educator Gail Rubin puts the “fun” in funeral planning. AGoodGoodbye.com
• Daniels Family Funerals & Cremations; DeVargas Funeral Home & Crematory; Fairview Memorial Park; and Gabaldon Mortuary;
• FRENCH Funerals and Cremations and Sunset Memorial Park – FrenchFunerals.com;
• Morris Hall PLLC – an estate planning law firm MorrisTrust.com;
• MyFinalChecklist.com – the end-of-life planning system you need to finally get it together for those you will leave behind;
• The Green Burial Council – a nonprofit organization that inspires and advocates for environmentally sustainable, nature death care. GreenBurialCouncil.org
• Passages International – providers of eco-friendly funeral and cremation products. PassagesInternational.com
• Everdays – an app that connects you with the people that matter most during life’s important moments. Everdays.com

Partners include the Berardinelli Family Funeral Service, Compassion & Choices NM Action Team, The Guild Cinema, obituary and eulogy writing service Beloved, mortality-reminder website TheBucket.com, end-of-life planning website LifeIZShort.com, Tractor Brewing Company, the Jewish Federation of New Mexico, and the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at UNM.

FESTIVAL COORDINATOR

Gail Rubin says, “Talking about sex won’t make you pregnant, talking about funerals won’t make you dead.”

Gail Rubin, CT, is a pioneering death educator who connects organizations with baby boomers and others about end-of-life issues. An award-winning TEDx speaker, she’s the author of three books on end-of-life issues, including A Good Goodbye: Funeral Planning for Those Who Don’t Plan to Die and KICKING THE BUCKET LIST: 100 Downsizing and Organizing Things to Do Before You Die. In a previous lifetime, she was a public relations professional and an event planner. Albuquerque Business First named her one of their 2019 Women of Influence.