Spirits remained lively during the 6th annual TalkDeath scavenger hunt on Oct. 26, despite the dreary, rainy weather. 

Summer Schmidt works with the Caughman Harman Funeral Home and said that this is the second year they partnered with TalkDeath and Elmwood Cemetery for the event that let about 20-30 people have quirky fun in a cemetery while possibly exploring their own mortality. 

TalkDeath is an online hub and community centered on death-conscious education, advocacy, equity and community. It releases articles and host events centered on the idea of mortality and death care. 

TalkDeath’s community events manager Rian Lussier said the scavenger hunt got its start in 2020, when the world was dealing with a pandemic. 

“It was imagined to be a one-off event and an opportunity for folks to be outside, safely, and still feel connected with one another,” Lussier said. “We could not have imagined it would have grown into such an annual tradition for so many.” 

Cassandra Trotta is a perfect example of the growth, attending last year’s inaugural scavenger hunt at Elmwood with her boyfriend’s niece, and returning this year with a determination to find as many clues as she could. 

While Trotta is competitive and enjoys the action of the game, she also enjoys seeing people’s names and birthdays from years past. 

“If they have a cool name, I’ll write it down for baby names in the future,” Trotta said. “It’s fun to look and see people’s history.” 

Other participants of the scavenger hunt include two friends who are visiting from Tallahassee, Florida, for the weekend and are staying on a farm in Columbia. 

They had a great time and compared it to the scavenger hunt they did in St. Augustine, Florida, as well as the New Orleans cemetery ghost tour they did. 

The women said they usually look for quirky things to explore in new cities they visit. 

Last year was more of a trial run at Elmwood Cemetery with only a handful of people in attendance, but Schmidt thinks more people will attend each year as word is spread. 

“I would hope (the attendees) would see that a cemetery is more than just death, it’s about life actually, celebrating, and having those memories,” Schmidt said.