Image courtesy Historical Society of Long Beach.

SATURDAY, OCT. 26

Every year since 1995, the Historical Society of Long Beach has been performing a history tour of the city’s two oldest cemeteries: the Long Beach Municipal Cemetery and Sunnyside Cemetery, which are the final resting place of more than 20,000 residents.

Whenever you’re talking about those numbers or about olden times in general, there’s going to be some great stories and that’s where the performing comes in. HSLB has actors stationed at certain graves, portraying the people in those graves, telling stories about them and the times they lived.

If it sounds spooky, it’s not. Yes, it’s always performed around Halloween, but the pieces are very family-friendly; more historical than hysterical. (The same cannot be said for the shameless frightfest video above. Perhaps scariest of all is the narrator’s flat, nasally delivery, reminiscent of Vincent Price being run through a woodchipper.)

The performances begin at 9 a.m. and run until 3 p.m. If you want to see all of them allow, wait for it, three hours. Yep, there’s a whooooole lot of history going on.

Another great thing: Another terrific outdoor activity today, and one that is far more Halloweenie-ish, is the El Dorado Nature Center’s Howl-Oween Festival. There will be live animals, create critter crafts and meet some of the Nature Center’s resident ghosts and goblins. Don’t forget to dress up. Parent participation is required for children under 16 years of age. The last trail entry is at 5 p.m. and the event ends at 6 p.m. There is a $5 suggested donation per person goes to Friends of El Dorado Nature Center/Partners of Parks.

Giving us a moment’s pause: The narrator…

Photo by Jason Ruiz.

Sunnyside Cemetery is located at 1095 E Willow St.; Municipal Cemetery is at 1051 E Willow St. The event takes place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Pre-sale tickets are available online: general admission $20; HSLB Members $15; ages 5-18 $8; ages 4 and under $1. Prices increase $5 at the gate. Both cash and credit cards are accepted. For more information or tickets, click here.

El Dorado Nature Center is located at 7550 E Spring St. The event takes place from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Admission is a suggested donation of $5. Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. For more information, click here.