By Pete Knapp
A unique Americana music festival will draw a hundred acts and thousands of people to one of Atlanta’s great cultural treasures the weekend of May 19 and 20. Tunes from the Tombs will be held in Historic Oakland Cemetery, one of the largest green spaces in the city of Atlanta.
The weekend-long event features musicians performing in and among Oakland’s extraordinary monuments, mausoleums, and renowned gardens. Several main stages will host amplified artists, while buskers will perform on distinct vignette stages throughout the cemetery. All genres of music will be represented; rock, folk, Americana, jazz, classical, and everything in between. Tunes from the Tombs will feature bands and musicians from Atlanta, Georgia, California and beyond.
Tunes from the Tombs will be held on May 19 from 1:00pm until 8:00pm and on May 20 from 1:00pm until 7:00pm on the grounds of Historic Oakland Cemetery, 248 Oakland Avenue, Atlanta, GA 30312. Tickets may be purchased at the gates and will be $10 for one day or $15 for a two-day pass. Children 12 and under will be admitted for $5 or $10 for a two-day pass.
In addition to the souls who reside at Oakland, Tunes from the Tombs will have plenty of spirits: wine and beer, plus a variety of local foods including Pallookaville, Sweet Auburn BBQ, Six Feet Under, The Varsity, and King of Pops.
Free, guided mini tours of the cemetery will be given throughout both days.
In keeping with Historic Oakland Foundation’s green initiative, festival attendees are encouraged to ride MARTA to the King Memorial Station.
All proceeds benefit Historic Oakland Foundation. The work of the Foundation is supported by grants from charitable foundations, individuals, and events like Tunes from the Tombs.
About Historic Oakland Cemetery: Oakland Cemetery is a 48-acre Victorian-style garden cemetery founded in 1850. It is one of the largest park spaces and significant cultural sites in metro Atlanta. Among the approximately 70,000 interred at Oakland are Gone With the Wind author Margaret Mitchell, golf great Bobby Jones, a number of former Atlanta mayors including Maynard Jackson, six former governors, the unmarked graves of paupers, Confederate and Union soldiers, a Jewish section, and an African American section. The grounds of the cemetery are an example of the 19th-century landscape idea of a cemetery-park and provide an ideal setting for its profusion of Victorian cemetery art.
Historic Oakland Foundation was founded in 1976, the same year Oakland was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Foundation partners with the City of Atlanta to preserve, restore, enhance, and share Oakland Cemetery with the public as an important cultural resource and an island of tranquility in the heart of the city. For more information about donations, tours, events, and other ways to support Oakland, please visit www.oaklandcemetery.com.
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