Historic Oakland Foundation (HOF) will celebrate its 40th birthday during Sunday in the Park, Oakland Cemetery’s annual Victorian fall festival, on Oct. 2.
The event will feature a retrospective of milestone restoration projects completed throughout the cemetery since HOF was established in 1976, shortly after being added to the National Register of Historic Places.
Sunday in the Park offers an afternoon full of activity for all ages including a Victorian costume contest, living history demonstrations, storytelling, guided walking tours, book signings, restoration presentations, carriage rides, burial records research, and much more.
The day also includes a full lineup of entertainment, with performances from Sweet Auburn String Band, The Ghosts Project, The Glory Hounds, Heidi Pollyea and Friends, Penny Serenade, The Amazing Spud Brothers, Caledonia, Matthias Young, Henry Frantz, and The Stately Vintage Dancers.
Gates open at noon and the festival continues until 6 p.m. Admission is $7 for adults, $3 for children aged 4-12, and free for children 3 and under. All proceeds from Sunday in the Park benefit HOF’s mission to preserve, restore, enhance, and share Oakland Cemetery.
“Sunday in the Park started as a small picnic, with Oakland descendants primarily attending. It’s since evolved into a favorite annual tradition for all Atlantans, and as we look back at HOF’s accomplishments, we also look forward to welcoming and engaging a new generation of visitors to historic Oakland,” said David Moore, Executive Director of HOF.
Sunday in the Park leads into a month full of activity at Oakland Cemetery, which also hosts the Run Like Hell 5K and Run Like Heck 1K Fun Run on Oct. 15, and the Capturing the Spirit of Oakland Halloween Tours on Oct. 21-23 and Oct. 27-30.
For more details on all the upcoming events, visit oaklandcemetery.com.