2014 Spirits in October at Riverside Cemetery poster.

Every year, the storyline and theme of Spirits in October becomes more interesting. The whole concept of the guided tours captures the beauty of history, storytelling and theater that mesmerize the minds of the audience. Spirits in October educates and entertains our community. The production makes learning fun. Although it started out as a means to portray the folks who are interred in Riverside Cemetery (a Knight Arts grantee), it has evolved into an event that incorporates others who had some type of influence or contribution to Macon during the narrative.

Throughout the year, the Riverside Cemetery conducts other guided tours with various themes like Antebellum Spirits and Spring Spirit Strolls. However, Spirits in October has proven to be one of the most popular of them all. This year’s Spirit in October will focus on infamous people who were from or lived in Macon and made the city well-known through their good and bad deeds. Several of these type people will be brought back to life via actors. One of the famed people raised from the dead will be Anjette Lyles, who was a resident of Macon and owned a restaurant Downtown on Mulberry Street. She was sentenced for murdering more than one of her husbands, her mother-in-law and daughter. The timeline of her due process placed Macon in worldwide headlines all over the globe.

A new twist to this year’s Spirits in October is Jacyln Weldon White, the author of a book about Anjette Lyles titled “Whisper to the Black Candle: Voodoo, Murder and the Case of Anjette Lyles.” She will share how she gathered the information to write such a book on October 19 from 3 p.m. until 6 p.m. Of course, she will take the time to autograph and sell some of her books. On the other hand, the guided tours for the “Notable and Notorious” Spirits in October at Riverside Cemetery will take place from October 16-19, and the following week from October 23-26. Each night, the tours will start at 6 p.m. and leave in intervals of 15 minutes, with the last one leaving at 8:30 p.m. The Sunday performances, which fall on October 19 and 26, will take place from 4 p.m. until 6 p.m.

Admission to the guided tour is $20 for general admission, $18 for elders and military, and $10 for students 10 and older. The event is free of charge for ages 10 and under. The tour ends with refreshments in the Macon Public Mausoleum. What a way to end this kind of production. Riverside Cemetery is located at 1301 Riverside Drive.