I first heard about the Before I Die festival in a magazine article in 2017. It sparked my interest because we do not have anything like this around Ohio. Death is such a taboo topic but is something that needs to be discussed and planned for. My wife and I decided to travel to New Mexico and see what it was all about for ourselves! The festival really opened our eyes to how important these conversations are for a family. It also made me more comfortable with discussing my own death, ironically something I always struggled with. I decided we needed to bring this festival to Southwest Ohio.

What the heck is a Before I Die Festival? Simple, it is a loose grouping of events, meals, and workshops designed to use humor and education the get people talking about end-of-life planning. Life has a 100 percent mortality rate, but our complete lack of planning suggests that we plan to live forever! Planning for the end of your life doesn’t mean you plan to die; it just means you will be ready when the day comes. More importantly, you will not have a bunch of decisions hanging over you and your family as that day approaches. So what are you waiting for? Come see how to plan to die, SO YOU CAN GO ON LIVING.

The event will kick off on Thursday, October 27th and will conclude with a full-day Symposium on October 29th. The events include:

Meet the Doyenne of Death, Gail Rubin
Death Cafes
Cemetery Tours
Dia de Los Muertos themed meal
Documentary viewings
An evening with beer, food, and funeral directors; ask what you want!
Workshops that will explain
Decluttering
Estate Planning
The legal documents you need
Celebrating a Life Well Lived
Planning a Final Resting Place that is not a closet or mantle
Crazy things people have put on their tombstones
Like us on facebook to get updates about events and when registration opens. Come see how planning your death can be quite a lively discussion!