Programs & Events

UPDATE 10/8/2025:

Due to unforeseen circumstances, we must postpone the Here Lyes Ye Body Talk and Walk originally scheduled for this Sunday, October 12, and Monday, October 13.

As the event is sold out, your reservation will automatically be held for the rescheduled program:

Talk at Lounsbury House: Sat. Nov. 15, 10am-11:30am

Walk at Mapleshade Cemetery: Sun. Nov. 16, 10am-12pm

All spaces for the cemetery walk on Sun. Nov. 16 are sold out. Tickets are still available for the talk at Lounsbury House on Sat. Nov. 15. If you purchase a ticket now as of 10/8/2025 you will only be able to attend the talk at Lounsbury House on Sat. Nov. 15 and you will not be able to attend the walk in the cemetery.

A special two-part talk & walk program, presented by the Ridgefield Historical Society and Lounsbury House, will introduce some fascinating characters and families, all now permanent residents of Ridgefield.

On Saturday, November 15, 10:00-11:30 a.m. at Lounsbury House, 316 Main Street, step into the past for a spellbinding afternoon of history, storytelling, and discovery as acclaimed broadcaster and poet Ira Joe Fisher interviews local historian and author Jack Sanders about his fascinating book, Here Lyes Ye Body. Sanders will share insights on our historic cemeteries and forgotten tales of generations past. With Fisher’s thoughtful questions and Sanders’ deep knowledge and wit, the discussion will uncover the rich narratives carved into old gravestones, revealing stories of the people that came before us. Their conversation will be followed by an opportunity for audience questions.

Jack Sanders, the former editor of the Ridgefield Press for 45 years and author of over 10 books on Ridgefield’s history, spent many years visiting town cemeteries, both as a person devoted to the history of Ridgefield and as a volunteer for FindAGrave.com, a 30-year-old community effort that now has more than 250 million entries of individual memorials. Inspired by the wealth of material written in stone, Sanders followed up with further research, which led to his book Here Lyes Ye Body, published in 2022.

Copies of Here Lyes Ye Body will be available for purchase from our friends at Books on the Common located at 404 Main St. in advance of the program and at the door, and attendees will have the opportunity to have them signed by Jack Sanders after the event.

UPDATE 10/8/2025:

All spaces for the cemetery walk on Sun. Nov. 16 are sold out. Tickets are still available for the talk at Lounsbury House on Sat. Nov. 15. If you purchase a ticket now as of 10/2/2025 you will only be able to attend the talk at Lounsbury House on Sat. Nov. 15 and you will not be able to attend the walk in the cemetery.

A discussion of cemeteries calls for a field trip, and Sanders will lead a walk (NOW SOLD OUT as of 10/8/2025) through the six cemeteries that make up the cemetery (bounded by North Salem Road, Mapleshade Road and North Street in Ridgefield) on Sunday, Nov. 16, from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. He’ll point out notable graves and tell the stories of their “owners.” Participants should expect a mile of walking over uneven lawn. Please carpool and park at Mapleshade Cemetery (entrance at North Street/Mapleshade Road).

Tickets are limited, non-refundable, and expected to sell out quickly. Tickets for the Saturday Talk ONLY are $15 for members of Lounsbury House or the Ridgefield Historical Society, $20 for those who are not yet members. You will not be able to attend the cemetery walk for tickets purchased after 10/8/2025.

For more information, call 203-438-5821 or email [email protected]

Thank you to D. Colabella Art Gallery, Books on the Common and Local-Insta for their sponsorship support.