Ghost Stories at Rock Creek Cemetery
About this Event
Join us for an evening of ghost stories at historic Rock Creek Cemetery, hosted by Loyalty Bookstore, featuring local horror, thriller, mystery, and history authors! Bring your lawn chair, picnic blanket, and flashlight and get ready for a scary good time.
Children's ghost story hour takes place from 6:00 to 7:00 PM, featuring Marianna Randazzo, author of The Ghostly Tales of the DC Metro Area, and Ciera Burch, author of Finch House.
Adult ghost story hour takes place from 7:00 to 8:30 PM, hosted by E.A. Aymar, author of When She Left and leader of DMV-area crime fiction writers group Noir at the Bar. Featured authors include Louis Bayard (The Wildes), Christopher Chambers (Streetwhys), Angie Kim (Happiness Falls), Tara Laskowski (The Cold Read), and Amber Sparks (Happy People Don't Live Here).
Tickets are required for this event. All tickets include entrance to the event, plus snacks and warm drinks. Upgrade to a VIP ticket and get a special swag bag of ghost and Halloween-themed goodies (stickers, bookmarks, etc). Books by featured authors will be available for sale on site.
ABOUT ROCK CREEK CEMETERY
Owned by the governing body of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Rock Creek Parish — the only surviving colonial church in Washington, D.C. — the Cemetery is part of 100 acres of land donated by Colonel John Bradford in 1719. In 1840, an Act of Congress designated the grounds as a public cemetery for the city of Washington. Although Rock Creek Cemetery remains under the stewardship of St. Paul’s Church, the burial grounds are nondenominational and open to all.
ABOUT LOYALTY BOOKSTORE
Loyalty Bookstore is a Black, Queer, and Asian owned independent bookstore in Washington, DC, founded in 2018. Located in the Petworth neighborhood, the shop features a curated selection of diverse books, community events, and unique gifts that center BIPOC, Queer, and marginalized voices for readers of all ages.
FAQ!
- This is a ticketed event and you must have a ticket to attend. General admission tickets are $15 for one adult or $20 for one adult + one child. Additional children's tickets are $5 each. VIP tickets including a special swag bag of ghost and Halloween-themed goodies are $30.
- Please note that Loyalty Books and Rock Creek Cemetery have a zero tolerance police for harrasment of employees, authors, or fellow guests. Please be respectful of the cemetery space as well by refraining from littering or walking over burial plots.
- Children's ghost story hour will take place from 6:00-7:00 PM. Afterwards, adult story hour will take place from 7:00-8:30 PM. We advise arriving a few minutes early to find chairs or space for lawn seating, but attendees are welcome to arrive at any time as long as they have secured a ticket.
- This event will be held outdoors on the green grassy area near Rock Creek Cemetery's main building. Enter through the main gate at 201 Allison Street NW and take the main road to the left. Limited parking is available near the event site; arrive early for the best chance of getting a spot. Street parking is available outside the cemetery entrance.
- We recommend bringing flashlights, as well as camping chairs and/or picnic blankets. Some folding chairs will be available on-site, but they are first come, first served.
- The event will take place rain or shine. We have several large tents in the case of rain, but if inclement weather is expected, we advise bringing umbrellas and rain jackets.
- Bathrooms inside Rock Creek Cemetery's main building will be open and accessible to attendees.
- Snacks and warm beverages will be available to all attendees. You are welcome to also bring your own snacks and drinks from home, but alcoholic beverages are not allowed on Rock Creek Cemetery grounds.
ABOUT THE FEATURED AUTHORS
E.A Aymar's most recent novel, When She Left, was chosen by PEN/Faulkner as one of three books for their prestigious DC Reads program. His previous thriller, No Home for Killers, received praise from the New York Times, Kirkus, and the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, and was nominated for an Anthony award. A frequent contributor to the Washington Post's now-defunct Book World, Aymar was born in Panama and now lives and writes in the DC/MD/VA triangle.
Louis Bayard's acclaimed novels include The Wildes, chosen as one of the top 10 historical novels of the year by the New York Times, and The Pale Blue Eye, adapted into the global #1 Netflix release starring Christian Bale. His reviews and articles have appeared in the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, the Washington Post, and Salon, and he served as chair of the PEN/Faulkner Awards.
Ciera Burch is a ghost lover, writer of ghostly stories, and a huge ice cream fan. She’s the writer of Finch House (a book about a haunted house), Something Kindred (a book about a town of ghosts), Camp Twisted Pine, Out of Step Into You, and Olivia Gray Will Not Fade Away.
DC native Christopher Chambers is the President of Mystery Writers of America-Middle Atlantic Chapter and a board of directors member for Bouchercon: World Mystery Convention. His noir hardboiled mystery, Scavenger, launched his critically acclaimed Dickie Cornish investigator series, received a starred review in Publishers Weekly, and was nominated for both the Shamus and Anthony Awards.
Tania James's most recent novel, Loot, was was nominated for The National Book Award. Her short stories have appeared in Freeman’s: The Future of New Writing; Granta; The New Yorker; O, The Oprah Magazine; and One Story, among other places. She has received fellowships from the Macdowell Colony, Ragdale, the Sustainable Arts Foundation, and the Fulbright Program, and is an associate professor of English in the MFA program at George Mason University.
Angie Kim's debut novel, Miracle Creek, won the Edgar Award and the ITW Thriller Award, and was named one of the 100 best mysteries and thrillers of all time by Time. Happiness Falls, her second novel, was an instant New York Times bestseller and a book club pick for Good Morning America, Barnes & Noble, Belletrist, and Book of the Month Club.
Tara Laskowski's debut thriller, One Night Gone, won the Agatha Award, Macavity Award, and the Anthony Award, and was a finalist for the Lefty, the Simon and Schuster Mary Higgins Clark, the Strand Critics, and the Library of VA Literary awards. She has also written two short story collections, and her short fiction has won the Agatha and Thriller Awards. She served as the longtime editor of the popular online flash fiction journal SmokeLong Quarterly, and her next novel, The Cold Read, will be published this November.
Marianna Randazzo is an author, educator, and lifelong storyteller. She loves history and the mysterious stories that bring it to life. A former New York City teacher, she has written about local history, Italian American heritage, and the communities she has called home. Marianna now lives in Chevy Chase, Maryland. She likes exploring cities, finding historic places, and learning the stories behind them. She especially enjoys visiting haunted spots and even spending the night in them. Spooky tales are her favorite, not only because they are fun, but also because they often reveal unique parts of history. Through her books, Marianna hopes to inspire readers to look beyond the legend and discover the people, places, and events that shaped our past. Her love of exploring the Washington, DC area inspired Ghostly Tales of the DC Metro Area. Above all, she loves spending time with her five grandchildren, who inspire her storytelling and keep her imagination alive. You can visit her website at Marianna-randazzo.com.
Amber Sparks's debut novel, Happy People Don't Live Here, received praise from Publishers Weekly, Kirkus, People, and Roxane Gay, who called the author "a master of the fantastic." Her celebrated short collections include And I Do Not Forgive You, May We Shed These Human Bodies, and The Unfinished World.
This event is part of Community Week DC (Oct 14 - Oct 21, 2026) - a citywide celebration of social connection. Explore all events so you can find your people at . Powered by and .
Please contact us at [email protected] with any further questions about the event or accessibility.
Where is it happening?
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
USD 6.24 to USD 37.71
