Gail Rubin, The Doyenne of Death and coordinator of the 2024 Before I Die New Mexico Festival, has a message for you about the upcoming events, available online as well as in-person in Albuquerque. In-person preview events take place October 24 and 26, and the online sessions will be available November 1-4. The full schedule of events follows.
The Before I Die New Mexico Festival will take place at different locations each day in the Albuquerque metropolitan area. The festival has entertaining and educational elements that get people to discuss end-of-life issues and plan ahead. Most sessions will be available online as hybrid events, with audiences participating both in-person and via Zoom.
View the schedule and register online at: https://beforeidiefestivals.com/2024-before-i-die-nm-festival-event-schedule/
Thursday, October 24, 2024
Location: Tractor Brewing Wells Park, 1800 4th Street NW, ABQ, NM 87102
Millennial Morticians with ABQ Brews: Death Doula Edition
6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Free event! Buy a drink and ask questions of death doulas Brooke Nutting, Danielle Slupesky and Kelly Saindon, Licensed Spiritual Practitioner and Master Clinical Social Worker, during this evening at Tractor Brewing Wells Park location.
Saturday, October 26, 2024
Death is Not a Dirty Word Resource Fair: Location: Unity Spiritual Center, 9800 Candelaria Rd. NE, ABQ NM 87112
9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Albuquerque is blessed with incredible resources to support end-of-life planning and care. Come meet your local resources, from home funerals to green burial, sacred space to legal documents, and everything in between. Free, refreshments provided.
Murder and Mayhem Cemetery Tour: Location: Historic Fairview Cemetery, 700 Yale Blvd. SE, ABQ, NM 87109
1:00 p.m. or 3:00 p.m. Murder and Mayhem Tour (Register for the festival at the $80 level)
Wear your walking shoes for this fascinating tour of Historic Fairview Cemetery! Meet some of the “permanent residents” who died because of murder or mayhem. This is a fundraiser for the nonprofit organization supporting the cemetery, founded in 1881.
Friday, November 1, 2024
Theme: Eco-Friendly Funerals: Location: Passages International Headquarters, 4516 Anaheim Ave. NE, ABQ, NM 87113
8:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. Check in/coffee
9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. Welcome by Darren Crouch, president of Passages International and the Green Burial Council, discussion of eco-friendly funerals and Etern.Life geo tag program. (viewable on Zoom)
10:15 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. A representative of Better Place Forests talks about their innovative memorial forests that provide a natural alternative to cemeteries. (viewable on Zoom)
11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Tour of Passages International headquarters, lunch with Death Café discussion.
1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. Panel discussion: Desert, Forest, Sea, Etc. – Eco-Friendly Disposition Options, panelists TBA (viewable on Zoom)
2:15 p.m. – 3:15 p.m. Demonstration of shrouding process. (viewable on Zoom)
3:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Bamboo and Jute Casket Assembly Contest. (viewable on Zoom)
November 1 Evening Event: Mortality Movies Showing and Discussion
Location: Death Doula Professionals, 1724 Moon Street NE, ABQ, NM 87112
6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Watch a film related to the day’s theme of environmental issues and death and stick around for an insightful conversation. Attendees to vote on the choice of the 1973 classic Soylent Green or the 2014 documentary, A Will for the Woods.
Saturday, November 2, 2024
Theme: Hospice 101: Location: Bosque Trails Hospice, 303 San Mateo Blvd. NE, Suite 104, ABQ, NM 87108 (use the entrance through the gate on Copper Avenue at San Mateo.)
8:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. Check in/coffee
9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. Hospice 101 and Medical Aid In Dying (MAID) with staff of Bosque Trails Hospice. (viewable on Zoom)
10:45 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. Hospice experiences with Gail Rubin and other speakers. (viewable on Zoom)
Noon – 1:00 p.m. Lunch with discussion/Barbara Karnes New Rules of Hospice video.
1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. Grief Insights from Beyond the Veil with noted psychic Tammy Holmes. (viewable on Zoom)
2:15 p.m. – 3:15 p.m. Veterans’ Care and Funeral Benefits with Bosque Trails Social Workers. (viewable on Zoom)
3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Five Wishes workshop – introduction to the Five Wishes form and opportunity to fill out the document. (viewable on Zoom)
November 2 Evening Event: Mortality Movies Showing and Discussion
Location: Death Doula Professionals, 1724 Moon Street NE, ABQ, NM 87112
6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Watch a film related to the day’s theme of hospice and stick around for an insightful conversation. Attendees to vote on the choice of the 2007 film Two Weeks or the 2024 film His Three Daughters.
Sunday, November 3, 2024
Theme: Planning for the Inevitable: Location: Death Doula Professionals, 1724 Moon Street NE, ABQ, NM 87112
8:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. Check in/coffee
9:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. “Let’s Get Ready! Everything You Need to Know Before You Go” with Dr. Kimberly Harms. Her talk explores the need to go beyond traditional estate planning and get our affairs in order emotionally. Acquire actionable steps for developing an Emotional Insurance Plan, and learn practical strategies for fostering forgiveness, reconciliation, and emotional healing within personal relationships. Her latest book is “Are You Ready? How to Build a Legacy to Die For.” (viewable on Zoom)
10:30 – 11:30 a.m. “Planning for Peace: How Death Doulas Complete the Puzzle” with Death Doulas Danielle Slupesky and Brooke Nutting. This presentation will explore the vital role death doulas play in the end-of-life journey. By integrating the expertise of death doulas into end-of-life planning, attendees will discover how to enhance comfort and understanding, ultimately completing the puzzle of a peaceful transition.
11:30 – 1:00 p.m. Death Café conversation over lunch – an opportunity to discuss mortality concerns, openly and honestly.
1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. “Shed Before You’re Dead” Downsizing panel discussion with Kathy B. Dempsey, RN, MED, CSP, Dr. Kimberly Harms, and Miriam Ortiz Y Pino with More Than Organized on the benefits of culling our massive amounts of stuff and ways to do it. (viewable on Zoom)
2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. “Would You Hold a Living Funeral for Yourself?” with Kathy Dempsey, who is also a death doula who has helped clients hold their own funerals while they are still alive. (viewable on Zoom)
3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Book signing with Kathy Dempsey and Kimberly Harms.
November 3 Evening Event: Mortality Movies Showing and Discussion
Location: Death Doula Professionals, 1724 Moon Street NE, ABQ, NM 87112
6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Watch a film related to the day’s theme of discussing and planning for end-of-life issues and stick around for an insightful conversation. Attendees to vote on the choice of the 1971 cult classic Harold and Maude or the 2007 film The Bucket List.
Monday, November 4, 2024
Theme: Unexpected Deaths: Location: South Valley Multi-Purpose Senior Center, 2008 Larrazolo Rd. SW, ABQ, NM 87105 (located just off of Atrisco Drive SW)
8:30 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. Check in/coffee
9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. Indigent cremation and burial in Bernalillo County, Diane Chavez, Operations Manager for General Services, Bernalillo County. (viewable on Zoom)
10:30 a.m. – noon The Office of the Medical Investigator (OMI) in New Mexico, Lauren Dvorscak, Deputy Chief of OMI. (viewable on Zoom)
Noon to 1:00 p.m. Lunch and Death Café
1:00 p.m. – 2:50 p.m. “Your Clock is Ticking: Are You Ready?” In this highly interactive session with Kathy Dempsey and Dr. Kimberly Harms, learn about unexpected death and how to prepare for it, as time runs out for individuals in the audience. (viewable on Zoom)
3:00 – 3:50 p.m. Panel on Medical Aid in Dying (MAID) with Sherry Burns, Deborah Dugan, and Leah Becker from End of Life Options New Mexico (viewable on Zoom)
4:00 – 5:00 p.m. “Peace of Mind” with Karla Barela Lucero, Advance Planning Consultant, French Funerals and Cremations (viewable on Zoom)
November 4 Evening Event: Mortality Movies Showing and Discussion
Location: Death Doula Professionals, 1724 Moon Street NE, ABQ, NM 87112
6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Watch a film related to the day’s theme of unexpected deaths and stick around for an insightful conversation. Attendees to vote on the choice of the 1991 film My Girl or the 2006 film The Queen.
Choose your registration level:
- $20 – Provides online Zoom access and for in-person attendees, a goodie bag with A Good Goodbye DVD set.
- $40 – Includes a copy of the book, A Good Goodbye: Funeral Planning for Those Who Don’t Plan to Die.
- $60 – Includes a T-shirt from A Good Goodbye (Sizes M-L-XL-XXL)
- $80 – Includes registration for the Murder and Mayhem Cemetery Tour October 26.
Register online for all events at: https://beforeidiefestivals.com/product/before-i-die-nm-festival-registration/
The Before I Die New Mexico Festival is made possible by the support of:
- A Good Goodbye: AGoodGoodbye.com
- Bernalillo County Indigent Program: https://www.bernco.gov/general-services/about-the-program/
- Better Place Forests: BetterPlaceForests.com
- Bosque Trails Hospice: BosqueTrailsHospice.com
- Conscious Crossroads End-of-Life Services: DeathDoulaDanielle.com
- Death Doula Professionals: DeathDoulaProfessionals.com
- End of Life Options New Mexico: EndOfLifeOptionsNM.org
- French Funerals & Cremations: FrenchFunerals.com
- Keeper Memorials: MyKeeper.com
- Passages International: PassagesInternational.com
