Celebrating The Day of the Dead Around the Country

Known as All Soul’s Day to Americans, El Día de los Muertos is one of Latin America’s most celebrated holidays. People honor those who have passed on by celebrating their lives instead of mourning them. Symbols traditionally associated with Day of the Dead are elaborately decorated skulls (some made of candy!), marigold flowers, candles and brightly colored decorations that are used in rituals and parades throughout the day. If you can’t make it across the border to Mexico, here’s a list of events taking place in U.S. cities around the country: 

New York:

The Mexican restaurant Dos Caminos celebrates the Day of the Dead by offering a cooking class on Saturday, October 27, to those interested in learning more about the holiday and culture surrounding it. 

If you prefer an event with more variety, visit St. Mark’s Church on the Bowery for the tenth annual “Mano a Mano Mexican Culture Without Borders Day of The Dead Celebration,” a non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion and celebration of Mexican culture. Spanning from November 1-4, this event features a tribute to Mexican and Mexican-American women, a street procession and altar blessing in Union Square, and a musical performance. Various workshops offered to the public include learning about traditional Mexican arts and crafts, poetry writing and Mexican culture and cuisine. Mexican food will be on sale throughout the day. For more information, call 212-587-3070.

On November 3, The Brooklyn Observatory invites you to join in the fun at its “Annual Day of the Dead/Halloween Party.” 

The “Día de Los Muertos Brooklyn 2012” exhibit will be celebrating its second year of Day of the Dead festivities. On November 2 from 7 – 11 PM, New Yorkers can participate in the Sunset Park installation and ceremony to honor those who have passed. Guests are encouraged to bring gifts, adornments, personal items, and favorite foods of the deceased to present as an offering at the commemorative altar. A musical performance from the ASE MUSIC group will take place during the evening. 

California:

If you are in the San Diego area and are feeling crafty, make your way to the “Back from Tomboctou Día de Los Muertos” workshops. A great place for kids to learn about Mexican culture by way of arts and crafts, this workshop features skull and paper decorating, personalizing your own altar, and a popular sugar skull workshop. Each workshop costs $15 ($20 for altar making). Please note that a pre-payment and reservation is required in order to attend as spots fill up fast. For additional information, visit website call 619-282-8708.

San Francisco will be hosting the “Day of the Dead Procession and Festival of Altars” on Friday, November 2. Guests are welcomed and encouraged to make altars for their loved ones who have passed on. After an altar is created, it will be assembled for the ritual at 6 PM, and will join a procession taking place in Garfield Park at 7 PM. The Marigold Project, a non-profit, volunteer group that works to preserve and promote the Day of the Dead in San Francisco, sponsors this event. 

Los Angeles is home to what is known as “the largest celebration of its kind in California.” Held at the historic Hollywood Forever Cemetery on October 27, the 13^th annual “Día de Los Muertos” runs from noon-midnight in typical Hollywood fashion. A jam-packed schedule of events includes altar exhibits, costume contests, Aztec and Mayan rituals, musical performances and a center for children’s arts and crafts. General admission is $10 and tickets can be purchased online at www.hollywoodforever.ticketfly.com. To learn more about this exciting event, please call 323-308-4765 or visit www.ladayofthedead.com as there are restrictions regarding food, beverages and pets.

At La Fonda Supper Club in L.A., you can celebrate by giving a donation. The “Día de Los Muertos Film Fundraiser” will host a film screening of “Noche de los Huerfanos” (Night of the Orphans) on Thursday, November 1 from 7:30-midnight. Admittance is free, but donations are appreciated and help benefit film projects by independent filmmakers. Guests can enjoy food, drinks, giveaways and a performance by Mariachi Los Reyes. For more information, call 213-380-5053.

Arizona:

The Day of the Dead is highly celebrated in Arizona, and Tucson’s “All Souls Procession,” a favorite since 1990, will take place on November 4. Those who wish to participate in the procession must gather at 5 PM for a 6 PM beginning to the walk. Participants can go online and download a prayer form to place in the urn at the conclusion of the procession.

The Museum of Arizona in Flagstaff will host its Tenth Annual “Celebracíones de la Gente” from October 27-28. Enjoy food, music, offerings and presentations on different Latin heritages. Mariachi Sol Azteca, Ballet Folklorico, Zarco and Carmen Guererro, and Los Compadres are scheduled to perform. Admission to the museum is $7 for adults and $4 for children.

In Phoenix, The Desert Botanical Gardens will be hosting its tenth annual “Día de los Muertos Fall Festival” on November 3-4. Guests who are more interested in the foods associated with this holiday can learn more by taking part in “Cuisine and Cultures of Día de los Muertos” on November 1. For more information, please call 480-941-1225.

Texas:

It’s time for a street festival! The fourth annual Día de los Muertos Street Festival in downtown Corpus Christi is the perfect way to celebrate the holiday. On Friday November 2 from 5 PM, guests can enjoy traditional Latin food and beverages, take part in a parade, and be entertained by a mariachi performance and other live Latin bands.

The Lawndale Arts Center in Houston will host the 25^th Annual “Día de Los Muertos” from October 22-November 10. Guests can join in the celebration of the art, music and life of Mexico. Student artwork is on view, and the event will feature a silent auction featuring over 250 Texas artists. Craft workshops including the making of papel picado and sugar skulls are available for younger guests and their families. Space in the workshops is limited.

Port Isabel will be celebrating its annual “Los Colores Del Muerto” on Saturday, October 27. Admission is free at the Port Isabel Historic Museum where the event is being held. Art demonstrations, altar exhibitions, and dancing to music from Los Dominantes will be showcased, and for those looking to get spooked, the historic Port Isabel Lighthouse will be screening Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds on October 26 at 8:30 PM. 

New Mexico:

The San Jose De Armijo Cemetery in Albuquerque will serve as host to the Atrisco Heritage Foundation’s second annual Día de los Muertos 2012 celebration on Thursday, November 2 from 5 – 7 PM.

In Santa Fe, the Museum of International Folk Art showcases traditional Mexican art inspired by the Day of the Dead holiday on Sunday, October 28 from 1-4 PM. 

Virginia:

The Torpedo Factory Art Center in Alexandria, Virginia will host the “Día de los Muertos Costume and Dance Party” on the evening of Friday, November 2. Tickets can be purchased in advanced for $15 and at the door for $20. Those with a Student ID can get in for $10. Guests can dance to live music from The Torches before prizes are awarded Best Costume. On view is the “Día de los Muertos – Art of Remembrance” exhibition from October 29-November 4. 

Florida:

On November 2, Fort Lauderdale celebrates the holiday by taking part in “The South Florida Day of the Dead Celebration” featuring live music from the Boneyard Bandstand, and a “Skeleton Procession” that encourages Floridians to dress up as skeletons or other colorful Latin American themed costumes. Feeling crafty? Check out workshops on how to create, masks and puppets. Several food trucks will be stationed on site to satisfy everyone’s appetite with traditional Latin cuisine. At 10 PM, “The Flight of the Mariposas” will light the night with glowing butterflies. 

Chicago:

At the National Museum of Mexican Art in Chicago, The Hanal Pixán: Food for the Souls exhibit showcases beautiful works of art as part of the Ofrendas installations. This will be the museum’s 26^th annual exhibition, and it runs through December 16. 

Want to celebrate Día de los Muertos in a more energetic way? Then sign up for the “Uno 5K – Carerra de los Muertos.” On November 3, the sixth annual race starts at Bartolome De Las Casas Charter School, and benefits the UNO Charter School Network’s after school programs. Runners will participate in a course that takes them through Chicago’s Pilsen and several University Village neighborhoods. Winners who finish at the top of their respectable age division will win an official Carerra de los Muertos skull. Online registration closes at midnight on October 28.

Washington D.C.:

If you are in the D.C. area, make your way to the Smithsonian Museum to take part in the “Smithsonian Día de los Muertos Festival.” The Latino Center at the museum will present a special 3D experience in the Latino Virtual Museum that teaches visitors about the customs and beliefs dating back to ancient Mesoamerica and including modern Latino cultural practices. For those who want a bit more action, join the Day of the Dead Ballgame Tournament. The game is based on the first ever-organized sport in Mesoamerica and uses a rubber ball. Located in the Ballcourt of the Sun on the music island of the Latino Virtual Museum, the tournament promises to be fun for both players and spectators.