The Green-Wood Cemetery Announces Spring and Summer Programming

Spring is just around the corner and Green-Wood has planned a plethora of programs-from Concerts in the Catacombs to fascinating history tours-throughout the season. Much more than a cemetery, Green-Wood is constantly transforming the urban green space to serve as a unique venue for a wide-range of fascinating programs.

"This new season provides ample opportunities for first-time and long-time visitors to discover Green-Wood anew."' says Harry Weil, director of public programs and special projects at Green-Wood. "Events, concerts, and installations highlight the beauty and history of the Cemetery, with artists and performers engaging the site in dynamic never before seen ways."

This spring is no exception, with something for everyone and many family-friendly activities. All can be found on Green-Wood's website at www.green-wood.com/calendar and many are either free or reasonably priced.

Throughout the season, visitors can hop aboard the trolley to Discover Green-Wood every Saturday. Or, for those who prefer to stretch their legs, walking tours provide connoisseurs of all sorts an opportunity to indulge: Early-morning Birding, Great Trees, Green-Wood at Night, and many more! Visitors can also attend a diverse line-up of arts and cultural programs-performances and exhibitions drawing on the Cemetery's history and landscape for inspiration. And for those with an avid curiosity, Green-Wood's death education programs explore themes of death and dying across experiences and cultures.

Among the highlights of the season are:

• Hanami Festival: (Wednesday, April 20th) Translated from the Japanese as "flower viewing," the Hanami festival celebrates the spring season with music and entertainment set among Green-Wood's extensive collection of flowering trees as they come into full bloom.

• A Day in the Life of a Mortuary Science Student: (Thursday, March 31st) Hear from mortuary science students and graduates as a part of Green-Wood's "A Day in the Life" series, which brings together those in the death-care field for lively conversations on the intricacies of their trade and to answer your questions about end-of-life care.

• A Night at Niblo's Garden: (Thursday and Friday, July 28th and 29th) A Victorian extravaganza like none other! Set around beautiful Crescent Water this evening features a dazzling array of nineteenth-century showmanship under the starry summer skies. Bring a blanket and a picnic!

• Concerts in the Catacombs: (April-September, various dates) Curated by acclaimed composer, Broadway star, and vocalist Gelsey Bell, this series features a diverse range of musicians-including Palestinian Kanun (Mediterranean Zither) player and composer Firas Zreik and electro-acoustic composer and improviser Zeena Parkins-in a space rarely open to the public.

• Gardens as Cosmic Terrains, an art installation by Heidi Lau: (May 7th-June 26th; open Saturday & Sundays) Heidi Lau, Green-Wood's first-ever artist in residence, will present the sculptures she created during her residency at the Cemetery. These were created specially for the Cemetery's Catacombs.

• Memorial Day Concert: (Monday, May 30th) After a two-year hiatus, Green-Wood's annual Memorial Day concert is back to kick off the summer. Bring a picnic, sit back, and enjoy the music by composers who are interred at Green-Wood, including Lift Every Voice and Sing by James Weldon Johnson, selections from West Side Story by Leonard Bernstein, and many more, plus patriotic favorites of course. Fred Ebb, Louis Moreau Gottschalk, Leonard Bernstein, and others.

• Revolutionary Spirits: (Saturdays, April 9th, May 14th, and June 11th) This special event in partnership with Fort Hamilton Distillery kicks off with a trolley tour of the Cemetery to discover the Who's Who of the Revolutionary War and the distillers who made their mark on the young Republic, followed by a whiskey tasting in Industry City.

• Gay Green-Wood: (May 15th) A themed trolley tour highlighting important LGBTQ+ figures including "It's Raining Men" co-writer, Paul Jabara; sculptor of Bethesda Fountain, Emma Stebbins; activists and founders of the Hetrick Martin Institute, Drs. Emery Hetrick and Damien Martin, among others.

Established in 1838, The Green-Wood Cemetery, a National Historic Landmark, is recognized as one of the world's most beautiful cemeteries. As the permanent residence of over 570,000 individuals, Green-Wood's magnificent grounds, grand architecture, and world-class statuary have made it a destination for half a million visitors annually, including national and international tourists, New Yorkers, and Brooklynites. At the same time, Green-Wood is also an outdoor museum, an arboretum, and a repository of history. Throughout the year, it offers innovative programs in arts and culture, nature and the environment, education, workforce development, restoration, and research. For more information, please visit www.green-wood.com.

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