Name: The Chicago Cemetery Picnic Club
Start: 2026-06-20T12:30:00-05:00
End: 2026-06-20T14:00:00-05:00
Location: Bohemian National Cemetery

Did You Know Americans Used to Hang Out and Have Picnics in Graveyards? Please bring a friend or family member with you and your lunch.
About this Event

Did You Know Americans Used to Hang Out and Have Picnics in Graveyards?

In the 19th century dining near gravestones was seen as a form of reverence, not irreverence. It wasn’t uncommon for families to make day trips to cemeteries, visiting loved ones’ graves, cleaning them, and then spreading out a blanket for a picnic. Americans of this time embraced it as part of their social and cultural life, and other cultures worldwide continue dining with the dead as a tradition.

This summer, Sandi Bianchi, a Death Doula with the Chicago Death Doula Collective will be hosting a cemetery picnic once a month at different Chicagoland cemeteries. You’re invited! Please bring a friend or family member with you and your lunch. Meet new people and enjoy a brief history of the featured cemetery for that month.Did You Know Americans Used to Hang Out and Have Picnics in Graveyards?

What To Bring: Your own lunch and drink (NO ALCOHOL PLEASE). Folding chairs permitted if you want to bring your own. Blankets will be provided.

Any questions please contact Sandi at: [email protected]