Reviving an American Tradition

Last year, Atlas Obscura published an article about a forgotten national pastime: "Remembering When Americans Picnicked in Cemeteries." This Sunday, the Friends of the Hudson City Cemetery are reviving that tradition.

Photo courtesy Historic St. Luke's

On Sunday, May 19, from noon to 4 p.m., the Friends of the Hudson City Cemetery invite you to pack a lunch, bring a blanket or a chair, and join people who share a love and concern for Hudson's historic burying ground for a picnic in the cemetery. The picnic will take place in various sites in the Hudson City Cemetery, the older part of the cemetery west of Ten Broeck Lane. Balloons and signs will mark the spots.

Photo: Library of Congress

If you don't feel inclined to pack your own picnic lunch, you can pick up a box lunch from House Rules Cafe, which, located at 757 Columbia Street, is right on the way to the cemetery for most of us. The box lunch is $20, and you have your choice of the following menu items: All the Veggies quinoa bowl, the Vegetarian Reuben (a Gossips favorite), Joel's Go-To Tuna (tuna salad served over avocado), and the B(acon) S(prouts) T(omato). All come with Cape Cod potato chips, a Fentiman's craft soda, and "a sweet treat to round it out." Place your box lunch order by email houserulescafe@gmail.com or phone 518 828-5938 by Friday, May 17, and pick up your lunch on your way to the picnic on Sunday, between 11:30 and noon.

For more information, click here.