SANCTUARY BURROW
at the
In our small Southern town of Pittsboro, North Carolina, something extraordinary happens each year.
Born from heartbreak and transformed by community, Death Faire has become a beloved annual event, where we gather to face what our culture often avoids: death.
Through a soul-stirring day of music, art, poetry, ritual, culture, and shared wisdom, Death Faire invites us to celebrate and honor the full cycle of life and death.
It’s messy. It’s beautiful. It’s unapologetic.
Welcome to Death Faire 2025
Sunday, november 2nd
The Road to Death Faire
Pre-Death Faire Events
Book Launch: Love, Loss, and Healing in a Small Southern Town
Thursday, October 30
6:00-8:00 p.m.
Forest Hall @ Chatham Mills
Pittsboro, NC
Read more about our events leading up to Death Faire 2025.
Special Screening: An Act of Love
Monday, October 27
5:30–8:00 p.m.
Chatham County
Agricultural & Conference Center​
Pittsboro, NC
Death Faire Revival Art Exhibit Opening
Saturday, November 1
4:00-6:00 p.m.
Smelt Art Gallery@ @ The Plant
Pittsboro, NC
DEATH FAIRE SCHEDULE
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 2ND
DEATH FAIRE PRESENTERS
11:30-11:50 a.m. - Main Stage
Laura McKelvey: Opening CeremonY
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Laura will also lead a closing ceremony at 5:30 on the Main Stage.
Laura McKelvey is a Cherokee water pourer for her sweat lodge community, a mother and grandmother, and an avid gardener. She is recently retired from the Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, where she worked for over 30 years. In that capacity, she worked on a range of issues, including the Acid Rain Program, the State Implementation Plan for implementing the NAAQS, Air Permitting, the Urban Air Toxics Strategy, and the development of Maximum Achievable Control Technology Standards.
For more than 20 years, she supported Tribal Governments, including serving as the lead for the Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards’ Community and Tribal Programs Group. In this role, she managed the team responsible for supporting sovereign Tribal Nations in developing air pollution control programs, as well as assisting environmental justice and grassroots communities in identifying and addressing risks from air pollution.
Laura McKelvey holds a B.S. in Natural Resource Management from the University of the South and a Master’s in Environmental Management (Forest Ecology) from Duke University’s School of the Environment. Joining Laura will be her son, Carey.
12:00-1:00 p.m. - Main Stage
Ways of Remembrance Ensemble:
Ceremonial Grief Concert
Ways of Remembrance Ensemble features: Aditi Sethi (voice, harmonium), Scott Sheerin (flutes, saxophones), Jay Brown (guitars, voice, harmonica), Joel Karabo Elliott (voice, percussion, trombone, guitars)
The Ways of Remembrance Ensemble is a world music and devotional group born from a core circle of doulas, stewards, and fire-tenders at the Center for Conscious Living & Dying in Swannanoa, NC. They offer a sensitive blend of contemplative folk, ambient improvisation, and kirtan, drawing from cultural root sources including India, Native America, Appalachia, Southern Africa, and the Caribbean.
Their sound emerges from deep listening to one another, to the space around them, to the unspoken emotions of those present, and the subtle stirrings of spirit. Forged in the sacred work of tending life’s thresholds, their musical connection is rooted in love, trust, and shared presence.
The Ways of Remembrance Ensemble offers a ceremonial container where people are invited to sit in stillness, dance, meditate, release grief, and celebrate the mystery through spontaneous expression.
12:00-1:00 p.m. - Wheelhouse
book Launch/signing/readings
from
Welcome to death faire:
Love, loss and healing in a small, southern town
with Jaki Shelton Green & Authors
Born out of heartbreaking loss, Death Faire invites us to step boldly and intentionally into sacred conversations about death—without fear, and with open hearts. Each year, this extraordinary gathering calls us to embrace the full cycle of life and death through music, art, poetry, ritual, culture, and collective wisdom.
In celebration of the 10-year anniversary of this magical event, the spirit of Death Faire has been woven into a book: Welcome to Death Faire: Love, Loss, and Healing in a Small Southern Town—a deeply moving collection of personal stories, photography, essays, and poetry.
Curated by Tami Schwerin, this beautiful book—like the event itself—encourages us to challenge the narratives we hold about death. It reminds us that life and death are not separate, but deeply intertwined—and that denying death means denying the fullness of life.
Whether you are carrying grief, walking alongside another’s sorrow, caring for the dying, or simply seeking to better understand life’s impermanence, let this book be an invitation to give voice to what is often left unsaid—yet lives at the heart of what matters most.
​
Join us for the official book launch celebration!
Thursday, October 30
6-8:00 p.m.
Forest Hall @ Chatham Mills
Pittsboro, NC
12:00-1:00 p.m. - green room
Raymond Hillan-Morrison
In Our Arms: How to Die in Community
In this talk, Raymond Hillan-Morrison shares the principles of community-centered Death care and the “Share the Care” model, a collaborative approach to supporting individuals through their final months and beyond.
Drawing on their current work organizing a Death care circle for their new friend —a Queer, displaced community member—Raymond tells a story of how collective care, ritual, and creativity can transform dying from an isolating experience into one rooted in love, belonging, and dignity.
This session offers practical tools for organizing support networks, creating ritual, and transforming the end-of-life process into an opportunity for connection, intimacy, and healing.
Raymond Hillan-Morrison is a cultural worker, shroud maker and ritualist based in rural NC. Their work weaves Ancestral fiber arts, queer kinship, and Death literacy to create spaces where grief and Death are held collectively. Through workshops, talks, and hands-on projects, Raymond seeks to help communities reclaim Death as a practice of love and liberation.
1:15-2:15 p.m. - Meet @Main Stage
Leif Diamant: NATURE WISDOM WALK
Nature supports healing through presence, observation, and connection. Its wisdom and vitality help us navigate hardship, offering guidance, comfort, and renewal. In this experiential workshop, we’ll wander, pause, and explore both nature and our inner landscapes.
Leif Robert Diamant, MEd, NCLMHC, is a licensed psychotherapist, interfaith/spiritual minister, and lifetime student of nature. His psychotherapy practice often focuses on helping people with trauma, loss, death and dying, PTSD, and complex PTSD.
Loss and grief are natural, just as resilience, beauty, and joy are. Leif has been practicing, studying, and teaching ecopsychology and nature spirituality for the past 20 years.
1:15-2:15 p.m. - wheelhouse
karen Howard: POETRY LOUNGE
Calling all Poets and Poetry Lovers!
Whether you’re a seasoned poet or simply love the beauty of words, join us to celebrate the power of poetry. Share your original work or come to listen and enjoy. If you’d like to read, contact Karen at karen@howards-end.net.
Karen Howard is an artist, poet, mother, grandmother, and Chatham County commissioner. A lifelong advocate for the arts, she began writing and performing later in life and now regularly hosts poetry events at The Plant and beyond. Born in the Bahamas and now living on a former plantation, Karen’s journey deeply shapes her creative voice.
1:15-2:15 p.m. - little pond Stage
WILL RIDENOUR & DONOVAN ZIMMERMAN
with paperhand puppet intervention:​
DRUM CIRCLE: RHYTHMS FOR LIVING & DYING
This facilitated drum circle and parade will create a space for communal reflection on life and death through rhythm.
With a drum in hand, each participant will gather and follow the facilitator’s lead as the beats start slow and meditative, evolving into a shared, flowing rhythm.
The circle fosters nonverbal expression of emotions like grief and remembrance, allowing participants to connect deeply without words. Our communal drumming becomes a healing ritual, blending mourning and celebration into a powerful, collective experience. Bring a drum, or use one provided by the facilitators.
Keep an eye out—the puppets will be roaming Death Faire throughout the day!
1:15-2:15 p.m. - gazebo
Jennifer Hansen:
COMMUNITY KEENING & GRIEF CIRCLE​
www.ancientsongtherapy.com
Instagram: @ancient_song_therapy
Facebook: @liodhruna
Join a somatic sounding circle designed to help move grief through the body using sound and gentle movement. This circle offers a safe space to sit in community with grief in its many forms.
We'll begin by creating a group resonance through sound, humming, or vocalizing together to foster a sense of entrainment and belonging. Attendees are then invited to add to the supported soundscape as they feel moved. We will close the circle with individual sharing about the process and any changes in the sensation of grief in the body from before and after keening.
Jennifer P. Hansen is the Founder and Lead Ceremonialist at Ancient Song Therapy — an author, habitat steward, seidrkona, and ancestral animist. Weaving sound and spirit, she creates sonic ceremonies that honor the seasonal passages of life and place, giving voice to both the seen and unseen worlds.
1:15-2:15 p.m. - green room
Frank Phoenix:
IMAGINING YOUR DEATH
Einstein said imagination is more important than reason. John O'Donohue said imagination is the first step in a 3-step process of creation: imagination, intention, and expectation. Most people die well. If you could have it anyway at all, how would you die? Where would you be? Who would be with you? Would you be at peace? Come, imagine your death.
Frank “Byrd” Phoenix is dedicated to equity and economic justice, transforming communities in unique and impactful ways. His unwavering commitment and profound spiritual principles of love, justice, equity, abundance, and compassion have provided critical financial support, encouragement, wisdom, and mentorship to trailblazing organizations.
One of Byrd’s favorite practices is sitting in circle, following the Way of Council. This 10,000-year-old tradition sets a container for authentic speaking and listening. When done well, it creates a space of deep communication, love, and healing.
2:30-3:30 p.m. - Main Stage
Songs of devotion:
Sacred Singing Circle
Prayerful singing and chanting are ancient, universal expressions of spiritual love and joy, carried across cultures and generations. Through shared song, we honor music as both meditation and medicine: a path to quiet the mind, awaken the spirit, and find harmony within and with one another.
Join heart2heartnc members Amy Durso, Sheila Fleming, and Lolly Dunlap as they lead Songs of Devotion, a community singing event rooted in the uplifting and healing practice of devotional music.
With simple, guided instruction, we’ll sing mantras, prayers, and sacred songs from various traditions. No musical experience is needed—just a willing heart.
2:30-3:30 p.m. - Wheel house
Panel Discussion:
"Community Supported End-of-life"
Aditi Sethi, David Hahklotubbe, Julia Hartsell, Matt Zemon
Aditi Sethi, MD, is a Hospice and Palliative Medicine doctor, death doula, and musician. She is the founder and director of the Center for Conscious Living & Dying in Asheville, NC. Aditi is an emerging and important voice in shifting our culture’s understanding and approach to dying, death, and bereavement care, and she has devoted her career to promoting positive death experiences.
“I am interested in community-supported end-of-life care, what death teaches us about life, and the impact of our modern approach to death.”
David Hahklatubbe is a gerontologist, death doula, author, university instructor, and public speaker. For over a quarter of a century, he has lived at the end of the road, harvesting the deathbed wisdom of his 1,023 patients.
“My mission is to deliver their urgent messages to avoid the worst pain we can suffer at the end of life: regret.”
Julia Hartsell is the co-founder and steward of Heartward Sanctuary, an animist church with a natural burial ground in Chatham County, NC. She helps people prepare for death, tend to grief, and reconnect with their ancestors. As an Ancestral Lineage Healing Practitioner, her work focuses on healing at the intersection of the living, the dead, and the land.
“I weave people together around dance and ritual to honor the seasons and thresholds of life.”
Matt Zemon is an author and community leader at the intersection of psychedelics, science, and spiritual experience. He blends academic rigor with compassionate advocacy to promote safer, intentional, and transformative psychedelic use.
“For this panel, I hope to share reflections on the role of psychedelics in end-of-life care, both for the person in transition and their loved ones.”
2:30-3:30 p.m. - little pond Stage
VANESSA JACKSON & CHERIE LYON:
Growing through Grief: Rituals to Activate the Transformative Power of Death, Loss and Grief
Death is inevitable, and we are left to create new connections, new meanings, and even a new purpose in the aftermath of loss. This workshop/ritual will offer tools for creating rituals to consciously engage with our grief and release fear around endings and new beginnings.
We will incorporate elemental magic—earth, air, fire, and water—to demonstrate how nature can be our greatest teacher in embracing grief, offering the healing balm to help us grow through our experiences of loss. Bring an open heart and mind, your active and hidden grief, and your willingness to be part of a community of conscious grievers to tap into the growth potential of grief.
Vanessa Jackson is a high priestess, healer, and activist. She is the owner of Dudley’s Apothecary, an aromatherapy healing practice based in Atlanta, Georgia. Sage High Priestess Cherie Lyon is a magical being who prefers to be invisible, but she shines way too bright a light to be missed. She holds the center at the Spiritual Salon in Atlanta, Georgia.
2:30-3:30 p.m. - green room
ED TIRYAKIAN: MEDICAL AID IN DYING
Ed Tiryakian, Executive Director of Dying Right NC, will discuss the current state of Assisted Dying in the US and especially here in NC. He will elaborate how Medical Aid in Dying (MAID) works, where it's available, and what North Carolinians can currently legally do if they are terminally ill and mentally competent. He will also elaborate on the other options besides MAID
Ed Tiryakian, J.D., MBA, founded Dying Right NC in 2015 and is its Executive Director. He previously worked in international banking in Asia before retiring to his native NC.
He believes End of Life issues are one of society’s most pressing challenges, as we all live longer and the medicalization of the dying process continues to conflict with the individual’s right to choose their desired end.
2:30-3:30 p.m. - gazebo
MEADOW DEFOSCHE:
The Pavamana Mantra
The Pavamana Mantra, sometimes called simply by its first line (OM Asatoma Sadgamaya), comes to us from the Upanishads and is chanted to help purify the mind, create inner peace, and promote well-being for oneself and for all beings.
For this practice, we will chant this sacred mantra 108 times to lift our collective vibration and invite deeper insight into our true, immortal nature. We'll practice the pronunciation together first, and handouts will be provided so you may follow along. Bring your favorite mala beads if you wish to keep count.
Meadow DeFosche, eRYT-500, is certified in Restorative Yoga, Yoga for Post-Traumatic Stress through Yoga Warriors International, Integral Yoga for Stress Management through Satchidananda Ashram, and Yoga Nidra through Arhanta Ashram. She is also a certified Accessible Yoga teacher and Thai Bodywork practitioner. She approaches her practice as a lifelong learner and continues to seek new knowledge about yoga and yogic philosophy to deepen her connection to the world around her.
3:45-5:15 p.m. Main Stage
Nnenna Freelon: Keynote Speaker
with Special guest
Pierce Freelon
Nnenna Freelon is a seven-time GRAMMY®-nominated singer, songwriter, podcaster, author, and advocate for arts education. She has recorded 12 albums and is actively touring, having appeared worldwide on jazz festival stages, concert halls, clubs, in film, and on television.
She was married for forty years to her soulmate, renowned architect Phil Freelon. FAIA. With his death in 2019 to ALS and the passing of her sister 6 months later, she was thrust into the “palm of grief.” Reshaped by her losses, she has since
been on a path of curiosity about living greatly through grief.
She is the creator and producer of the award-winning, musically supported podcast Great Grief, which has been hailed as the best narrative podcast on grief by the Public Media Journalist Association.
In 2023, she was invited to give the keynote before a
national ALS advocacy group on the Washington Mall steps away from the Smithsonian Museum, where her late husband led the design team. The design thinking that marked Phil’s architectural career was never more evident than in the three years that followed his diagnosis of ALS. Inspired by his life and
legacy, Nnenna wants to share the culture of care that blossomed in proximity to death.
Her debut book, Beneath the Skin of Sorrow: Improvisations on Loss, is part love story, part homage to jazz, and part guide to creative practice within bereavement. It is
published by Duke University Press and will be available for sale.
​
Nnenna will be joined by her son, Pierce Freelon, a GRAMMY® nominated artist, picture book author, podcaster & ice cream maker. His GRAMMY®-nominated children’s music albums AnceStars (2023) and Black to the Future (2021) have been featured on NPR, Billboard, and the Today Show.
Pierce is the author of two children's picture books with Little, Brown Books for Young Readers: Daddy and Me: Side by Side (2023) and Daddy-Daughter Day (2022). He is co-creator of the PBS Kids podcast Jamming on the Job and is the voice of its star Beat-master BoomBox! He is the founder of Coco Fro, a vegan freeze-dried ice cream company. Pierce is a Dad to two creative and hilarious kids, loves reading Octavia Butler books with his wife of 18 years, and is proud that he can still dunk a basketball in his 40s!
More about Nnenna Freelon
ONGOING HIGHLIGHTS at Death Faire
death faire art gallery
A Revival can mean a reawakening of faith and a fresh infusion of spiritual life. Some are called to sing, some to play the drum, and some of us are called to use our hands in an expressive, meditative way — creating two-dimensional images, weaving our stories into fiber arts, or assembling objects that become wearable art, jewelry, or sculptures to express our journey through death and life.
We invite you to step into a quiet reverie in The Smelt Gallery and be inspired by what you see. The 10th Annual Death Faire Revival Art Exhibit will open in the Smelt Gallery on Sunday, November 2, and will continue through the month of November.
To honor our artists with an authentic audience — to make them feel seen and welcomed into this heartfelt community — a “Meet the Artists” event will be held from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. in the Smelt Art Gallery. We hope you will join us, as this art and these artists truly deserve to be seen.
In addition, there will be an opening reception for the exhibit on Saturday, Nov. 1, from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m.
To participate as an artist: Death Faire Call For Artists 2025
smelt gallery
interactive Ancestral Altar
You are invited to honor your loved one(s) by participating in this open, interactive Death Faire Altar. If you wish to recognize those who have passed from your life, you are encouraged to bring photos, art, or small items that are treasured keepsakes of your significant person.
You may leave a poem, a writing, or a quote as a tribute. You can write a wish, a prayer, or a memory for any of your ancestors that can be hung on the provided line or placed in the burning pot of ashes to be sent to the ancestors by way of smoke.
We will have incense and candles lit, so please mind where you set your pieces. Be sure to mark your name on any items you leave at the altar so they can be easily returned.
Above all, respect each precious contribution to this altar. Many different faiths and beliefs will be represented, and the tokens placed will be special to each participant.
COURTYARD
FAMILY AND KIDS GATHERING SPOT
HONORING THE CIRCLE OF LIFE THROUGH MUSIC, ARTS & CRAFTS
Cindy Jones and Drumming for Wellness NC are proud to host the Family & Kids Gathering Spot, where participants will honor those who came before us—our ancestors and loved ones—with gratitude, creativity, and rhythm.
This circle is a place for families and kids of all ages, filled with laughter, memory, and connection. Together, we will create a joyful space where play and remembrance come alive because the deceased want to offer us comfort, not just sadness.
Join us for family fun with soul: music, crafts, and celebration. Instruments will be provided, but you’re welcome to bring your own. Throughout the day, you’ll find instrument-making tables, remembrance tables, craft sessions to honor loved ones, and spontaneous jam sessions open to all.
Cynthia “Cindy” Jones—aka Cindy ~ Anna ~ Jones and the Temple of Boom— has been drumming and making music for over 30 years. With contagious enthusiasm, she blends voice, world drums, movement, and percussion to spark joy and connection.
A member of the Drum Circle Facilitators Guild, Cindy leads Rhythm Journeys across the Triangle, helping people break through barriers and find healing where words fall short.
Follow her Drumming for Wellness, NC page for upcoming events.
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