Highbury Cemetery: Massachusetts

Well, it would be a 10 hour drive from the Cemetery, but in seeing the video below I would definitely consider it!

Mark your calendars for October 20, 21, 27 & 28 for the 6th annual Salem Night Faire presented by The Black Veil in Salem, Massachusetts.

From the Salem Night Faire site:

Join us and tread beyond the darkened pines for a glimpse beyond the veil, an enchanting weekend of outdoors magick and wonder.

Featuring over 50+ local and distant artists, clothing, jewelry, and oddity vendors, live performances, fireside ghost stories, photo ops, hot cider, a Biergarten & more.

Extend a hand towards the mute fortune teller and have your fruitless fortune read, gaze upon the ghostly fashion installations of renowned designer Ashley Rose throughout the weekend, and lose yourself in a spellbinding daze. The time awaits, and magick fills the air this October Salem night.

Stay dreary.

I have seen videos and photos from previous years' events and it has always piqued my interest (I mean come on, Salem at Halloween time!?), but in seeing the incredible video below, I now will be taking the idea of attending more seriously. This entire event just looks SO GOOD. And spooky. And fun!

And don't forget, it's just a short drive from Salem to Lee, New Hampshire to see the haunted attraction that should be on everyone's mandatory bucket list, Haunted Overload! What a weekend that would be...

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The Burying Point Cemetery - Salem, Massachusetts

We have a very special Cemetery Sundays edition this week! Last weekend, Mrs. Highbury and I took a quick trip out to Salem, Massachusetts, and had a chance to go see The Burying Point Cemetery, oldest burying ground in the city of Salem, and Witch Trials Memorial.

Walking through this cemetery was a perplexing experience. Usually for my Cemetery Sundays trips, I get up early and quietly tour the grounds alone, taking my time to document and appreciate the ornate tombstones, sculptures and mausoleums.

I wasn't afforded this luxury at The Burying Point Cemetery, as it is a main tourist destination in Salem, and the grounds were full of fellow tourists and photographers. I had to focus on getting shots without people in them - a difficult task with the amount of people roaming the entirety of Salem in October!

Also, I found it strange that those "touristy" elements were also encroaching upon the grounds themselves. A carnival with rides, food vendors and a haunted house were all positioned just outside the cemetery fences, contributing to a staggering amount of noise. I was surprised at how all of this really took me out of my element in regards to other cemeteries that I visit.

But I made do with what I had and focused on getting the best shots that I could...

The Witch Trials Memorial
Located next to the cemetery, The Witch Trials Memorial, erected in 1992, contains the granite bench memorials for the 20 women and men executed in the infamous Salem Witch Trials of 1692. Each bench contains the name of the victim, the date of their wrongful execution and the grisly manner in which they were executed. 19 by hanging, one by being pressed to death. The memorial's location is fitting, since trial judges and accusers are buried in the cemetery right next to it...