Walk Among the Shadows
The non-profit group Spirits Alive will again be offering their popular “Walk Among the Shadows” event this October in Eastern Cemetery. This year’s theme is “Portland’s Inferno, Fire and Resurgence”. A year after the Civil War ended, Portland planned a July 4th celebration. By the next morning much of Portland Neck had burned to ashes. Hear from eight spirits, risen from their graves, to provide their accounts of Portland’s Inferno of 1866.
Visitors will be led through Eastern Cemetery by specters, encountering each of the stories at a different location within the graveyard. The event occurs at Eastern Cemetery on October 19-21 and 26-28, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. There will also be a twilight performance on Sundays, Oct. 22 and 29 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Audience groups will enter from the 224 Congress Street gate every 20 minutes during the event on a first-come, first-served basis. Each Walk Among the Shadows performance lasts about 40 minutes. The audience is cautioned to dress for outdoor evening weather and slightly uneven terrain. Tickets are available on Eventbrite or at the gate. Suggested donation for admission is $10 ($5 for under 12).
Spirits Alive is a non-profit organization formed in 2006, and dedicated to the preservation of Eastern Cemetery. “Walk Among the Shadows” is their largest fundraiser. Eastern Cemetery, 224 Congress Street, is Portland’s oldest graveyard, founded in 1668. It is on the list of National Historic Landmarks. All proceeds from this event go to Spirits Alive to help accomplish their twin missions of education and preservation. More info at spiritsalive.org.