Before I Die Festival Returns to Dayton, Ohio!
The second annual Before I Die Festival Ohio in Dayton, Ohio offers upbeat activities to think about, talk about, and do something about our inevitable mortality. Activities include Death Cafe conversations, a lantern cemetery tour, a symposium, movies, panel...
Highlighting Some of the Great Speakers at the 2023 Festival
We’ve got an incredible line-up of speakers and activities at the 6th annual Before I Die New Mexico Festival, October 16-21, 2023. Taking place at different locations each day around Albuquerque, there's something for everyone. Daily themes are: Money and Mourning;...
Before I Die New Mexico Festival 2023 Schedule
BEFORE I DIE NEW MEXICO FESTIVAL, OCTOBER 16 – 21, 2023 SCHEDULE OF EVENTS (As of October 12, 2023) The Before I Die New Mexico Festival will take place at different locations each day in the Albuquerque metropolitan area October 16-21, 2023. The festival has...
Keeper and GatheringUs Join Forces for Virtual Memorials
Keeper and GatheringUs, two companies that specialize in online and hybrid memorial services, are joining forces. Both companies have supported and participated in Before I Die Festivals in New Mexico in years past. Here's today's news from Mandy Benoualid, President...
Festival Video: Grumpy, Cranky, Fussy: The Unspoken Symptoms of Grief
Grief is a shape-shifting emotion. It’s not just expressed through depression or tears. We may not recognize that grief can show up in demeanors that are unpleasant or hard to live with. In this talk, “Grumpy, Cranky, Fussy: The Unspoken Symptoms of Grief,” learn how...
Festival Video: How to Create a Digital Legacy and Online Memorials
Manage Your Digital Legacy A digital legacy consists of all of the photos, videos and posts on social media you’ve put out there. What happens to all that information about you after you die? Mandy Benoualid, Co-Founder and President of Keeper, presented “Meaningful...
Festival Video: Estate Property Distribution and Downsizing
Downsizing is a Challenge Do you have a problem with downsizing? Overwhelmed with the details of handling a loved one’s estate? You may find this video helpful. “Estate Property Distribution and Downsizing,” presented by Karen Hyatt, owner and manager EstatePros LLC,...
Festival Video: How to Make Your Money Outlive You
Will Your Money Outlast You? One of the fears of growing old is running out of money before you die. That’s why this Before I Die New Mexico Festival presentation with Steve Margulin, CPA, CFP® is so important. In this video, “Don’t let your savings suffer a...
Festival Video: Making Altars to Remember the Deceased
How To Make Altars Honoring Deceased Loved Ones “How to Make an Altar Honoring Deceased Loved Ones” was a 90-minute workshop with Annie Mattingley, part of the 2021 Before I Die New Mexico Festival. In this 30-minute video, Annie gives an overview of ways to connect...
Festival Video: Lincoln, Embalming and Monuments
“Abraham Lincoln’s Impact on Modern Embalming” is a Before I Die New Mexico Festival session that covers the history of modern embalming. The practice took off in the United States during the Civil War. You’ll learn how the huge number of deaths during the war,...
Festival Video: Who Will Speak for You?
In this video from the 2021 Before I Die New Mexico Festival, Althea Halchuck, EJD, CT, presented “Who Will Speak for You? Medical Surrogacy Questions Answered.” During this presentation, you will learn why your husband or child might not be the best choice to make...
Santa Fe Doorways Presentation
Not Planning to Die with The Kominsky Method Presenter: Gail Rubin, CT online via Zoom As the saying goes, getting old ain’t for sissies. Aging holds challenges for all of us: physical declines, beloved people and pets dying, and unrelenting changes, many not for the...
Cemetery Stories: Life, Death and Beyond
Cemetery Stories: Life, Death and Beyond was a live storytelling event with people sharing stories about their experience with the mysteries of death and dying, and how life goes on after a loved one dies. There were 16 stories told during the program. The stories...
Funeral Businesses Can Share Before I Die NM Festival Virtual Events
Before I Die Festival Virtual Events Go National The Before I Die Festival concept excites and educates adults about end-of-life preparation, funeral planning and facing our mortality. Funeral homes and cemeteries nationwide can now share virtual sessions of the...
5th Annual Before I Die NM Festival Schedule
Festival Schedule (Subject to Changes) The 5th annual Before I Die New Mexico Festival will take place in-person and online with four days of death-positive conversations and experiences October 30 to...
Announcing the 5th Annual Before I Die NM Festival
Festival Features In-Person and Online Events October 30-November 2, 2021 The Before I Die NM Festival, being held for the fifth consecutive year in New Mexico, breaks new ground with a combination of in-person/online series of events Oct. 30 to Nov. 2, 2021. The...
Historic Fairview Cemetery Memorial Day Tours and Antique Car Exhibit
Memorial Day Tours at Cemetery Memorial Day, Monday, May 31, 2021, the Board of the nonprofit Historic Fairview Cemetery organization invites visitors to take a tour and learn about some of its famous (and infamous) residents. Four one-hour tours will be conducted at...
Fifth Annual Before I Die NM Festival
Before I Die NM Festival 2021 The fifth annual Before I Die New Mexico Festival will include online and in-person events in Albuquerque. Events for 2021 are scheduled from October 30, Create a Great Funeral Day, to November 2, All Souls Day. As in years past, the...
Cemetery Volunteer Clean Up and Cactus Planting
Help Maintain Historic Fairview Cemetery! On the first Saturday of every month, volunteers help clean up Historic Fairview Cemetery, clearing weeds and trash. On Saturday, April 3, volunteers will also have the opportunity to transplant native cholla cactus to help...
Kicking the Bucket List Talk
Join in online for this virtual presentation, Kicking the Bucket List: Downsizing and Organizing Things to Do Before You Die! The 60-minute talk is is hosted by Congregation Emanu El in Houston, Texas, sponsored by Waldman Funeral Care. The event takes place on...
Tales from Albuquerque’s Historic Fairview Cemetery
Tales from Albuquerque's Historic Fairview Cemetery Historic Fairview Cemetery at 700 Yale Blvd SE in Albuquerque, New Mexico, was founded in 1881. It has approximately 12,000 permanent residents. Yet, only about 6,000 of the graves have markers. It’s the final...
Festival News Coverage
The Before I Die NM Virtual Festival generated some great news coverage, both leading up to and after the Festival. Albuquerque Journal Adrian Gomez, the Arts & Features Editor, started the story this way: It’s been four years since Gail Rubin began to coordinate...
Video: Graveyards of the Wild West: New Mexico
Graveyards of the Wild West: New Mexico In this video, Heather Moulton, author of the new book, Graveyards of the Wild West: New Mexico, discusses several old cemeteries in New Mexico. She also shares...
Webinar: Funny Films for Funeral Planning
"Laughing in the Face of Death: Funny Films for Funeral Planning" entertains while helping you plan ahead for end-of-life issues. Join Gail Rubin, Certified Thanatologist and The Doyenne of Death®, for an online presentation with 90-minutes of funny film and...
Webinar: Kicking the Bucket List
Join us for this webinar, Kicking The Bucket List: Downsizing and Organizing Things to Do Before You Die. Do you plan to live forever? Do you ever plan to move? Depending on where you’re going, you can’t take it with you. This free online talk on April 20 focuses on...
Video: Jewish Burial is Green Burial
Did you know that Jewish burial is naturally green burial? In this panel discussion, learn: Why both Jewish and Muslim burial traditions are naturally eco-friendly. What your green burial options are in New Mexico. Ways to minimize your carbon footprint with your...
Video: Pet Loss Expert Panel Discussion
Pet loss issues and how to plan ahead are the topics tackled in this Before I Die New Mexico Festival panel discussion event. Panelists are: Ann Beyke, MA, pet loss counselor, www.PetLossCounselor.com Dr. Jeff Nichol, DVM, veterinarian, www.DrJeffNichol.com Julie...
Video: Millennial Morticians with ABQ Brews
What do Millennials think about funerals and funeral planning? In this panel discussion, four 30-something funeral professionals talk about what's happening on the front lines of our 100% mortality rate and how their generation is responding. The panelists from left...
Video: What Do Death Doulas Do?
What does a death doula do? This hourlong panel discussion helps answer that question. The four panelists are: ChrisTina Simek, Carli Wheeler, Sara Morgan and Jane Turner. They are all based in Santa Fe, and they all come to the field with widely different stories....
Video: Is There Life After Death?
Is there life after death? Good question! In this panel discussion, you'll hear some interesting answers. The panelists are: Judith Fein, journalist and author of How to Communicate With The Dead. Annie Mattingley, author of The After Death Chronicles. Bethany Paix,...