Events

Burning Coal Celebrates 150 Years of the Oakwood Cemetery Past favorite Oakwood plays re-mounted for monumental anniversary celebration! RALEIGH, NC – Oakwood Cemetery turns 150 years old this Fall and Burning Coal Theatre will celebrate with a compilation of favorite short plays from the past decade written for the Oakwood Series.  Playwright Ian Finley (past North [...]

Join us for an interesting dive into the history of monument art & symbolism in the historic part of Oakwood Cemetery.  Have you ever wandered through a cemetery and wondered what the symbols meant?  Now is your chance to find out! This walking tour goes over hills and grass... and is not always on the [...]

Join us on October 20 for our 150th Anniversary Celebration! Sunday October 20th 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. at The Fairview on Capital Blvd in a garden setting that speaks to the beauty of Oakwood. Fine Food, Spirits, & Hallowed Guests! Short performance by Burning Coal Theatre Individual Tickets: $150 Celebration Patron $250 -- 150th Anniversary Commemoration   Limited [...]

Cemetery gates will be open from 7:00 - 10:00 pm to visit the public art exhibit of the 7 ofrendas.  Feel free to visit and leave a memento to honor a deceased loved one. Ofrendas will be being installed throughout the day on the 25.

Join us in celebrating the oral tradition of story telling. We will have four speakers, sharing stories on loss, love, grief and redemption. There will be snacks, warm Mexican ponche,  and live puppets. As it has been tradition we end in a funeral style parade around the Mausoleum. To register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/el-dia-de-los-santos-tickets-76047649567?fbclid=IwAR1tUjHfxYBmLU-A8pvzYLAfxlmZCbo9FBJPNjK5faffPmpdjg7YTqs71pQ

The Day of the Dead 5k runs through our grounds on Saturday October 26.  The race starts downtown at 10am and enters our gates shortly after.  Our roads will be closed from 9am til 12 noon.     www.dayofthedead5k.com    

BY POPULAR DEMAND... THE OAKWOOD LANTERN WALK HAS RETURNED OCTOBER 26TH 2019- 6 PM TO 10 PM THE ANNUAL OAKWOOD LANTERN WALK IS A FAMILY-ORIENTED PROGRAM OF INTERESTING HISTORICAL VIGNETTES OF LIFE (AND DEATH) DURING THE WAR BETWEEN THE STATES . You will follow a lantern-carrying guide (in period attire) down the luminary-lined path among [...]

Artist altars will be open for a Candlelight Ofrenda Night where people can come see the installations and leave offerings at the altar if they feel moved to do so.

As part of the City of Raleigh's WalkRaleigh Program, join Cemetery Director Robin Simonton on a walk around Oakwood Cemetery. Tour is free, but registration through the City is required. To register, visit here.

Join us for our First Friday Tour on Friday, November 1!  This is not a scary tour, but an engaging and educational tour.   Tours are free, but we always appreciate a suggested $5 per person donation towards the preservation of this sacred space.   This will be a monument art and symbolism tour!  Join [...]

Come to the front field at Oakwood Cemetery and  enjoy your last  chance for the public to see the installations and participate in a Candlelight Ofrenda Night.

Starting Monday, November 4th our gates will start locking each day at 5pm.  Opening time is still 8am. Please adjust your visiting time accordingly.  

Everyone loves a good scavenger hunt, right?  Join in the fun! Each November we invite the community on to our grounds (during visiting hours only) to compete in our annual Harvest Hunt! 25 questions- all that relate to Oakwood Cemetery's history and those that rest here. You have the month to complete it, but we [...]

Due to the Thanksgiving holiday, the cemetery office is closed on Thursday November 28.  Our grounds are still open 8am - 5pm so come visit!  

Due to the Thanksgiving Holiday, our office is closed on Friday November 29.