Two of the most popular ePodunk sections have finally been united: Cemeteries and Festivals.

While it seems an unlikely pairing of mourning and celebration, Patricia Leigh Brown’s recent article in the New York Times discusses how many communities have turned to new ways to raise funds to keep their cemeteries alive.

Brown writes: “Historic cemeteries, desperate for money to pay for badly needed restorations, are reaching out to the public in ever more unusual ways, with dog parades, bird-watching lectures, Sunday jazz concerts, brunches with star chefs, Halloween parties in the crematory and even a nudie calendar.”

Laurel Hill Cemetery in Philadelphia, PA has hosted a Titanic dinner, recreating the last meal served for several of the cemetery’s most famous residents, while the Congressional Cemetery in Washington, DC put on a parade for dogs dressed in historical costumes.

For a long time, Los Angeles‘ Hollywood Forever Cemetery has hosted Cinespia, classic movie screenings in the summer that function as a tribute to the many Hollywood greats buried in the cemetery. A DJ spins tunes before and after the screening, and alcohol is permitted on the cemetery grounds.

“Dying” to get into a cemetery may have taken on a new meaning.