Chicago will host its first End-of-Life Expo on Sept. 26 at Sleeping Village, 3734 W. Belmont Ave., bringing together death doulas, attorneys, funeral professionals, educators, authors, artists and other organizations for an afternoon focused on planning, caregiving and conversations about death.
Created by death doula Erica Reid Gerdes, author Becky Robison and comedian Alison Zeidman, the event is designed to help people prepare for the practical and emotional realities surrounding the end of life through educational sessions, resources, interactive activities and Zeidman’s comedy show, Ready to Die?
Although the Expo is open to everyone, its message may resonate particularly within the LGBTQ+ community.
For decades, LGBTQ+ people have often relied on partners, close friends and chosen family to serve as caregivers during serious illness and after death. Those experiences—especially during the AIDS epidemic—underscored the importance of discussing end-of-life wishes, documenting legal decisions and building support networks before a crisis occurs.
Just as personal experience taught the LGBTQ+ people about the power of community; the organizers arrived at this understanding through personal experience.
“We’ve been wanting to have a space where people can learn this information and have these conversations without criticism or fear of judgment,” Gerdes said. What began as a discussion about bringing Zeidman’s one-woman show to Chicago quickly evolved into a larger community event as organizations, vendors and volunteers expressed interest in participating.
After Becky Robison’s parents died and while she was grieving, she found herself making funeral arrangements, reading legal documents, locating necessary paperwork and all the costs and expenses with little practical guidance. The experience led her to create My Parents Are Dead: What Now?, first as a website and later as a book to help families navigate the practical realities that follow a death.
After Alison Zeidman lost both of her parents, she found that some of her memories were unexpectedly humorous. Stories such as accidentally playing the Bee Gees’ “Stayin’ Alive” at her mother’s death bed or using a red Solo cup to transfer her father’s ashes became reminders that laughter can exist alongside profound loss.
“There are so many things with death that are just completely absurd,” Robison said during the interview. Gerdes added that laughter provides “a release of tension,” helping people approach conversations that many postpone for years.
That Expo’s philosophy is shaped by community.  It will bring together professionals and community organizations that support individuals and families through death and grief. Attendees will have opportunities to learn about advanced directives, powers of attorney, funeral planning, grief resources and other end-of-life topics while speaking directly with professionals working in those fields.
Interest in the event exceeded the organizers’ expectations. Vendor space filled quickly, registrations surged following the announcement, and the response suggested a strong desire for opportunities to discuss a subject that many people know is important but often avoid.
For Gerdes, Robison and Zeidman, the Expo is ultimately about building community as much as providing information. Their hope is that attendees leave not only with practical resources but also with the reassurance that they do not have to navigate end-of-life planning, caregiving or grief in isolation.
The Chicago End-of-Life Expo will be held Saturday, September 26, from noon to 4 p.m. at Sleeping Village, 3734 W. Belmont Ave. Admission is by suggested donation, and additional information is available through the Expo’s event page.