The Cazenovia Preservation Foundation (CPF) is pleased to present the popular Walk Among the Spirits event again this year. Brave guests will come face to face with the souls of Cazenovia’s past as they are led by candlelight among the headstones in historic Evergreen Cemetery, meeting seven “spirits” along the way who will tell their tales of adventure and intrigue.
CPF collaborates with the Cazenovia Public Library to review research on several of Cazenovia’s early residents to determine who will “haunt” the cemetery each year with stories from their lives. For Walk Among the Spirits VI, guests will hear tales from seven spirits, most of whom were born in the early 1800s, with the exception of a circus performer who was born in 1871. They will also learn about the life of a miller whose mill once stood at the location of M&T Bank. The “ghost” of Grace will visit her husband Theophilus’s headstone and tell an interesting tale. Stories from the lives of Katherine Ten Eyck Burr Ledyard and Dr. Chamberlayne, a well-respected physician of his time who was a proponent of temperance, will also be shared.
“Besides being hams, really what’s drawn [Cindy Bell Tobey, also a Walk Among the Spirits actor] and me in is that we’ve uncovered our own interest in digging up the history and along the way discovered some of its interesting aspects,” says Jim Tobey, one of the actors and a CPF board member. “Each year we learn new things about the history of the community and history in general.”
This year’s event runs for three nights in Evergreen Cemetery on Oct. 24, 25 and 26. Guests can park at 22 Burton St. (near the ice rink/ball field), or at the Burton Street Elementary School. Admission for adults is $7 per person. Students and seniors are admitted for $5 per person. Tours depart every ten minutes beginning at 7 p.m. and last approximately one hour. The last tour each evening departs at approximately 8 p.m. This event is fun for all ages, but be aware that there is some uneven footing on the walking paths. Wear appropriate walking shoes and dress for the weather. In case of inclement weather, see cazpreservation.org for updates. Light refreshments will be served.
CPF would like to thank our sponsors for helping to make this event possible: The Brewster Inn, Cazenovia Equipment Company, Lillie Bean, Michael Brown Funeral Services, The Pewter Spoon, Tops Friendly Markets and Wegmans. We would also like to thank our volunteer group leaders and followers, parking attendants and set designers, many of whom return year after year, and without whom we would be unable to host this event. CPF wishes to especially thank our volunteer actors and actresses who give so much of their time and talent to ensure the success of this event: Cindy Bell Tobey, Jim Tobey, Matt Dydo, Renée Joseph, John Melvin, Pat Carmelli (pictured) and Matt Volz. CPF would also like to thank Elisha Davies at the Cazenovia Public Library, Madison County Historian Matthew Urtz, and the Village of Cazenovia for their assistance with this event.
