Cemetery Adds Art Exhibits, Fireworks, Concerts

Olinger Crown Hill Cemetery Has Artwork Scattered Throughout Grounds
DENVER -- Cemeteries are becoming more than places to visit loved ones who have passed on. Some cemeteries are now offering history tours, art exhibits, even weddings.
For more than 100 years, Olinger Crown Hill Cemetery has offered burial plots and memorial services. However, this year on Memorial Day, the cemetery hosted a celebration with fireworks and the Queen City Jazz Band.Olinger Crown Hill is planning a free tour June 19 from 10 a.m. to noon that will highlight the property's art, architecture, monuments, trees and history.

Crown Hill's grounds feature works by the Mexican artist and architect Dionicio Rodriguez — his only pieces in the state are scattered throughout the grounds, according to the Denver Post newspaper.General manager Kevin Wolfe told the paper he wants visitors to experience the music and the art, the plants, the history and the culture.Six couples have even married at the cemetery.Denver's Fairmount Cemetery holds grief support classes and hosts special remembrance ceremonies, but it's also holding concerts, game nights and even a rose sale.On July 30, Fairmount will host a Colorado Day concert on the steps of its mausoleum. Visitors are invited to bring a blanket, lawn chairs and their dinner. On the first Friday of the month, the cemetery hosts "First Friday" with a variety of activities ranging from game nights to sock hops to music nights.