Forever resting in the rows of Municipal and Sunnyside Cemeteries are lives marked by hope, tragedy and prosperity, many of whom were instrumental in making Long Beach what it is today.
As is tradition, the ghosts of the city’s past will rise up for an afternoon of storytelling during the Historical Society of Long Beach’s 29th Annual Historical Cemetery Tour on Saturday, Oct. 25.
Visitors of all ages are invited to stroll the city’s oldest marked cemeteries and learn about notable residents, monumental events and towering figures of bygone eras via graveside vignettes as well as a series of informational pictorials, displays and presentations.
Fitting in nicely with this year’s theme of “Where Every Plot has a Story,” eight gravesites will be helmed by actors from the Long Beach Playhouse. Dressed in period-appropriate costumes, these thespians will perform as former citizens who made an impact on what was once just a growing coastal town.
Performances will run for 10 minutes and repeat every 20 minutes throughout the event, allowing attendees to catch all the pop-up storytelling.
Hundreds of visitors listen to stories of Long Beach’s past at the Historical Cemetery Tour. (Courtesy of the Long Beach Historical Society)
Stories to be featured this year include the crime and cuisine of Mexican immigrants Ramona and Genero Linares, the origin of the Darthula Bouggess and Willie White scholarship and Cora Morgan’s unsuccessful charge against building the Port of Long Beach with public funds. Plus, local historian Karen Harper will lead a talk on the local Japanese American families who worked with Farmers and Merchants Bank in the 1940s to save their homes during internment.
The event will also feature a Día de los Muertos installation, Cambodian Memorial flags, a local author book signing and a merchandise booth with books, postcards and historical photograph reprints.
There will be limited parking onsite for compact vehicles with additional parking available at Willow Springs Park, where there is an event entrance into Municipal Cemetery. Carpooling is recommended and bicycle parking will be available.
The 29th Annual Historical Cemetery Tour will take place Saturday, Oct. 25 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Long Beach Municipal & Sunnyside Cemeteries (1095 & 1151 E. Willow St.), with the cemetery gates opening at 8:30 a.m. Tickets can be purchased online for $25 or for $30 the day of the event; admission for youth ages 5-18 is $8.
