Death almost always seems to be a surprise, and that’s why most people are woefully unprepared when it happens. The Before I Die New Mexico Festival will help people plan ahead for their 100% guaranteed mortality with 31 death-friendly events. Festival events will take place Tuesday, October 30 to Sunday, November 4, 2018, in Albuquerque, Santa Fe and Belen, NM.
According to Gail Rubin, coordinator of the second annual Before I Die New Mexico Festival, by taking even a few small steps you can reduce the stress, conflict and confusion death causes.
“The first thing people need to remember is that talking about death and planning ahead won’t kill you,” said Rubin. “Collecting important personal information and expressing a disposition preference will make it easier for your loved ones to take the next steps that require a bit more effort.”
The Festival events will take place at multiple locations in Albuquerque and Santa Fe. There will be field trips to La Puerta Natural Burial Ground near Belen, New Mexico’s first Green Burial Council-certified cemetery and a tour of the Office of the Medical Investigator. Most events are free or low cost.
What’s on the schedule?
There’s lots to do! Attendees can:
- Watch movies at the Guild Cinema: the comedy Defending Your Life November 3 and 4 and the documentary Living While Dying on November 1.
- Celebrate your ancestors at a party in a cemetery on Halloween and join in the revelry at the Marigold Parade and Festival in Albuquerque’s South Valley.
- Learn about end-of-life issues: medical, financial, and legal, new trends in downsizing and disposition options, Dia de los Muertos/Day of the Dead traditions, and benefit from expert panel discussions at the Festival Symposium on November 3.
- Discuss your thoughts about mortality at four separate Death Café events around Albuquerque October 30 to November 2.
- Play The Newly-Dead Game® and ask questions of “Millennial Morticians with ABQ Brews” at Tractor Brewing Wells Park location November 1.
- Commit cremated remains to a permanent final resting place for free on All Souls Day at New Mexico’s Mt. Calvary and Rosario Cemeteries.
- Visit the Office of the Medical Investigator, a casket making workshop, funeral homes, cemeteries, and the Albuquerque headquarters of Passages International, the largest provider of green burial and eco-friendly cremation funeral products.
- Write your “Before I Die” thoughts on giant chalk boards at the main campus of Central New Mexico Community College, October 26 to November 4.
The full schedule of events is available online at www.BeforeIDieNM.com and through the mobile event app, Whova. Download Whova from your favorite app store and register for the Before I Die NM Festival with the password newmexico.
Festival attendees can enter a drawing to win a pair of burial plots at La Puerta Natural Burial Ground and other prizes. The Festival is made possible by these sponsors: EternityGardens.com, National Guardian Life Insurance Company, French Funerals & Cremations, EstatePros, Morris Hall, Legacy Concierge, Passages International, and Zia Trust. The festival’s charitable partner is Fathers Building Futures.
Festival coordinator Gail Rubin, Certified Thanatologist, is a pioneering death educator who works with companies to connect with baby boomers concerned about end-of-life issues. Download a free personal planning form and 50-point Executor’s Checklist from her website, www.AGoodGoodbye.com.