Pull up a chair.
The Dandelion Clock Death Café is a free gathering where neighbors talk openly about life, death and grief over tea, coffee and cake. Come as you are.
What to expect
A Death Café is a conversation about life, death, and everything in between.
No agenda. No speaker. Nothing you have to share.
Share if you like, or just listen. Both are welcome. Tea, coffee and cake are on the table, and the conversation goes where the table takes it.
Educational seminars and workshops are part of the Death Café too. Professionals who join us are there as people to talk to.
Who it is for
Everyone is welcome, whatever they believe. You do not need to be grieving, and you do not need any practice talking about death.
Some people come after a loss. Some come to make peace with what lies ahead. Some just want better conversations with the people they love.
Who usually comes, and why
- The Professionals (Hospice, Funeral Directors, First Responders) They spend their daily lives swimming in topics surrounding mortality. For them, a Death Café is often one of the few places they can talk about death without wearing their “duty” hat or needing to remain clinically detached.
- The Grieving & Expectant (Families, Loss Survivors) People navigating grief or supporting a terminal loved one often find comfort in a space where speaking about death isn’t treated as a taboo, “mood-killing” subject.
- The Curious & Contemplative (Fearful individuals, Deep thinkers) Many attend specifically to face their anxieties about aging and dying in a safe, judgment-free zone. Others are simply drawn to raw, philosophical discussions that go far deeper than small talk.
- The Hospitality Seekers (Tea & Cake Lovers) The original founder, Jon Underwood, explicitly included cake and tea because food brings warmth, comfort, and a grounding sense of community to a heavy topic!
Come as you are.
Upcoming gatherings
Every gathering runs from 5:30 to 7:30 PM at 708 Mount Cross Road, Suite B, Danville.
Kept free by the community
The Dandelion Clock Death Café is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit. It stays free because of local partners and individual donations.
We are a sister organization of Dandelion Clock Transitions, a practice for planning, crisis support and death education in Danville.
Visit Dandelion Clock TransitionsMore than a café
The Death Café is more than a café. Work goes on behind the scenes so these Monday conversations stay open to anyone who wants to come and talk.
- Free empowerment, especially for older adults and veterans So everyone understands what is available if they receive a serious illness diagnosis, or have care preferences they have not put into words yet.
- Paperwork made easy Understanding advance directives and estate paperwork, with links to community resources. It helps getting started feel like no big deal.
- Easy on a Monday night It can be something you do on a Monday night over dinner. Easy, open to everyone and not so scary.