Festival

Upbeat, offbeat, we’re putting the “fun” into funeral planning

Before I Die Festival
Saturday, June 1, 2019, 10 am to 5 pm, Greenlawn Southwest

With a 100% chance of mortality, the Bakersfield “Before I Die” Festival fosters reflection about how we address death and dying. By providing space and opportunities to openly discuss end-of-life issues and learn from experts, we can improve the outcome of the actions we take to prepare for our mortality. All Festival events are free and open to the public.  

Movies    Panels    Workshops    Displays    Door Prizes
Speakers    Tours    Refreshments    And More
SCHEDULE

10 AM - 5 PM
Mortuary Mall - Welcome, door prizes, caskets, urns and other products on display in the Celebration of Life parking lot.

10 am - 11:30
“The Newly Dead Game”/Death Café - Conducted by The Doyenne of Death®, Gail Rubin, the audience plays along, answering questions about wills, final disposition preferences, advance medical directives, and thoughts on a final resting place. Expect surprises. Following is our Death Cafe, where death, cookies, tea and coffee make for interesting and even entertaining conversation. 

11:45 am - 12:15 pm     (Also repeated at 1:30 and at 3 pm.)
Crematory Retort Tour - A talk by a cremation expert explaining the cremation process up close and personal. Questions about scattering, environmental impact, creative things people do with cremated remains, and other issues will be answered.   

12:30 pm - 1   (Also repeated at 2:15 and at 3:45 pm.)
Mortuary Tour - What’s behind those closed doors? We’ll open them up and show you, and answer ALL your questions, from embalming to casketing, and more. Nothing is off limits. 

Panel Sessions  1 pm - 1:45   (Also repeated at 3 pm - 3:45)

What You Should Know about Hospice Care - Hospice experts talk about this significant and humane end-of-life choice, including medical aid in dying.  

Laughing in the Face of Death - Funny Films for Funeral Planning - Gail Rubin’s keynote speech incorporates comedy film clips to illustrate the importance and benefits of preneed funeral planning. 

Obituary Writing & Being Remembered - Workshop and discussion on how you want to be remembered and various ways to preserve your life story for future generations, from text to online. A life story writing guide will be provided.

Panel Sessions  2 pm - 2:45   (Also repeated at 4 pm - 4:45)

Estate Planning / End of Life Issues - Work with local financial planners and attorneys to answer questions about wills, trusts, probate, estates and everything else that gets left behind.

The “Woo-woo” Side of Death - Paranormal experts, ghost hunters and psychics talk about what’s on the “other side,” communicating with the dead, Near Death Experiences (NDEs) and haunted Bakersfield. Are you a believer, a skeptic or just curious?

Everything You Always Wanted to Know about Death, but were afraid to ask - We’ve assembled a fantastic panel that includes a funeral director, a hospice caregiver, and clergy to field any and all questions from the audience. Greenlawn’s own Jim LaMar is moderator.

5 pm - 7
Movie: “Undertaking Betty” - Undertaking Betty (2002 PG-13) is a romantic comedy with a behind-the-scenes look at two funeral homes in the small village of Wrottin-Powys in Wales. This funeral film offers a fun way to start funeral planning conversations by showing both traditional and highly outrageous personalized send-offs. Popcorn? Oh, of course!

Festival coordinator and Doyenne of Death®, Gail Rubin, CT, is a pioneering death educator who works with companies to connect with baby boomers concerned about end-of-life issues. A featured speaker at TEDxABQ in 2015, she’s the author of three books on end-of-life issues, including A Good Goodbye: Funeral Planning for Those Who Don’t Plan to Die and KICKING THE BUCKET LIST: 100 Downsizing and Organizing Things to Do Before You Die. She’s also a Certified Funeral Celebrant. In a previous lifetime, she was a public relations professional and an event planner. Learn more about Gail at www.AGoodGoodbye.com.
“Remember: Talking about sex won’t make you pregnant. Talking about funerals and end-of-life issues won’t make you dead.”
   — Gail Rubin, CT
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