Ghosts in the Hood Cemetery Concert

Opera on Tap and Historic Germantown are bringing their annual Halloween concert back to The Hood Cemetery on Saturday, October 17. Now in its fifth year, the event is called Ghosts in the Hood, and it does exactly what the name suggests: classical music about ghouls, ghosts, and goblins performed on the grounds of a historic cemetery. It's a rare chance to get inside The Hood, a public space in Germantown that doesn't open to the public very often.

The cemetery itself is a bit of a time capsule. It holds the graves of several prominent Philadelphians alongside 41 Revolutionary War soldiers and veterans of later conflicts, including the War of 1812 and the Civil War, and it's full of significant artifacts and memento mori. Before the music starts, historians from Historic Germantown lead an informational tour of the grounds, so you can get a sense of who's buried there before the singing begins.

On the program this year are Alyssa Brode, Colin Markey, Kyle Chastulik, and Chloe Lucente, with live keyboard by Benjamin D'Annibale. The night doesn't end when the last note fades, either—there are raffles, prizes, and a costume contest to round things out. The whole thing is outdoors with seating on the grass, and you're encouraged to bring your own food and drink. It's sponsored by Historic Germantown and made possible by a Pennsylvania Council on the Arts grant.

Gates open at 5 PM, and the performance begins at 5:45 PM, so you'll have plenty of time for the tour and to find a spot on the grass before the music kicks off. It's free this year, and if the weather doesn't cooperate, there's a rain date on Sunday, October 18, at 5 PM. The Hood Cemetery is at 4901 Germantown Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19144.