Walk Among the Shadows 2020

Vices, Voice, & the Vote: 100 Years of Women's Suffrage
To be available: October 22 to November 7, 2020
Free, but donations appreciated!

Seven eerie spirits will share their stories of the voting practices of their time in Portland, Maine, as well as those of the country's early days. You'll hear about their efforts to win women’s access to the ballot box... or how they argued against the very idea. As always, the event presents real people—portrayed by costumed actors—who have returned from their restful sleep to offer their personal, sometimes humorous, perspectives on history. The stories were written by Lynne Cullen who also directed the event as best she could—you know spirits... sometimes they listen, but mostly they just wail. Hannah Rafkin is the mastermind behind the video and editing of the spooky event.

Not only is the event virtual this year, it’s FREE thanks to support of Spirits Alive’s generous sponsors, and a grant from the Maine Arts Commission, an independent state agency supported by the National Endowment for the Arts.

Donations are welcome and are what Spirits Alive relies upon for all our conservation and educational activities. Your tax deductible gifts and the support of our generous sponsors enable us to repair and maintain the 200- to 300-year-old cemetery markers and monuments! They also allow us to bring you knowledgeable and entertaining speakers during our annual Winter Lecture Series. Thank you!

Get a sneak peek in the trailer (YouTube video) below.

Tour Portland's Oldest Cemetery with Spirits Alive

Wednesday, October 14, 2020
Free, but donations appreciated

This event is part of the Yelp Haunts At Home virtual event series! From the Yelp website: In an event open to anyone, Yelp invites you to tour the Eastern Cemetery (from the comfort of your own home) led by author Ron Romano who manages the walking tours program for Spirits Alive. Expect to hear about history, local legends, lore, and more!

Please note: there's a little bit of technology involved so please be aware if you RSVP that we will be utilizing Zoom, a virtual conference call service, and we will provide you the unique URL that is free to utilize without having to create an account. You'll receive that link in a confirmation email. We suggest you download the Zoom extension for your laptop so you can fully engage with everyone. It's free and you can use it to create your own virtual hangouts with loved ones!

We love when other organizations contact us to add the Eastern Cemetery to their own cultural offerings to members and beyond. Thank you, Yelp!

Though the event is free, you do have to sign in. Lock in your reservation with Yelp today.

Ask Amazon to Donate to Spirits Alive

This is an easy way to give! If you're an Amazon shopper, here's an easy way to support our favorite and the oldest historic Portland, Maine, cemetery:

• Go to smile.amazon.com
• Enter "Spirits Alive" in the box
• Choose the non-profit in Portland, Maine from the list

Voila! A portion of all of your purchases through smile.amazon.com will go to our efforts to support, conserve and promote this historic outdoor museum. Thank you!

Help the Eastern Cemetery

Support the work of Spirits Alive with your giving

You can help Spirits Alive keep the Eastern Cemetery alive for generations to come. Through your support, you can help us, an ALL-VOLUNTEER organization, to continue to:

• Keep the gates open – encouraging the community to explore its open and safe green space
• Offer education about the cemetery and its residents to the public – through tours, lectures, and events
• Encourage and support the city in keeping the site clean and safe for visitors of all ages
• Preserve this incredible outdoor museum and sacred historic landscape