Día de Muertos Celebration

Día de Muertos Celebration

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• Watch live music and performances
  
• Engage with hands-on art activities
  
• Installation by artist Cal Duran
  
• See ofrendas created by local school and community groups
  
• Food and drink available for purchase
  
• Shop at a mercado with food vendors and artisans
  A children’s costume parade will be held on both days
  
• If you don’t feel comfortable celebrating with us this year, we understand. We will see you next year!
  

At the Celebration

Performances
Saturday, Nov. 1
TBD

Saturday, Nov. 2
TBD
Food & Drink

TBD
Bar provided by Bon Appétit (credit card only)

Activities

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• Sugar skull (calaveras) decorating
  
• Button making
  

Mercado
Artisan creations available for purchase, artisans TBD.

Community Ofrenda

Participate in the construction of a community ofrenda in Taste throughout both days of Día de Muertos. Ofrendas (or offerings) are altars created to honor those who have died and are traditionally filled with photographs, food, flowers, and candles. All are welcome to bring these elements or others that celebrate someone special in your life who has passed. A digital printer will be available for those who wish to print a photo during the celebration. Please refrain from bringing alcohol, tobacco, or anything flammable and note that we are unable to return any items left on the ofrenda. Contributing to the community ofrenda is free and will be open on Nov. 1 and 2. At the conclusion of Día de Muertos, messages and memories will be placed in a sacred fire with love and care to commit them to the cosmos.

Installation by Artist Cal Duran

Cal Duran is a Queer, Two Spirit, Indigenous, Native, Mixed blood, Latinx, Manito, Mestizo, Chicanx, Indian Artist, and Arts Educator from Colorado. He has roots that bridge India, Mexico, and the natives of this land. He finds himself exploring parallels between his hybrid identities found in myth, religion, and ritual.

He has shown altars, installations and artwork in museums and galleries throughout the Denver Metro area and beyond. He continues to honor his ancestors and recently created a room at Meow Wolf in Denver, honoring the Indigenous tribes of Colorado and the Americas. It was through art that he began to connect to his ancestors. He is guided by these ancestors to create altars as beacons of light for the ones beyond this realm.

As a youth educator, Cal understands how important art is for our next generation in creating safe spaces and helping youth find their voice. He is honored to weave his vision of ancestral knowledge in order to guide others as they seek to reconnect to ancestors, create altars and remember where they came from. He gives gratitude and love to everyone working hard to create a world full of love, joy, and creativity.

Ofrendas
Ofrendas created by local schools and community groups will be on view in the museum.

Gathering Place
Explore the diverse histories, cultures, and artistic voices of the Southwest, and beyond, through works from the FAC’s permanent collection. Learn more

Agents of Care Gallery
Join the museum collections team to explore selections from the museum’s collection of Mexican Folk Art (Arte Popular).

In the Theatre

Raquel’s Purple Pineapple Adventures
Nov. 1, 12 p.m. and 3 pm.
Nov. 2, 12 p.m. and 3 pm.

Enhance your experience at Día de Muertos by attending our bilingual children’s theatre show, Raquel’s Purple Pineapple Adventures! All Raquel wants to do is help her family run their campground in the Colorado mountains, but the worst has happened: summer school! She is having trouble reading but never fear, Pinkie the Purple Pineapple is here to save the day. Is Pinkie imaginary? Is she real? Maybe it doesn’t matter since she teaches Raquel to overcome her fears.

In this bilingual show, you’ll hear a mix of English and Spanish. But don’t worry! No matter which language you speak, you and your kids will easily be able to follow along.

Get tickets

About Día de Muertos

Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) is a tradition that dates back around 3,000 years in Latin America. Mesoamerican cultures such as the Aztec, Toltec, Quechua, Mapuche, and others hold a cyclical view of the universe in which death is an integral part of life. The dead are still members of the community, kept alive in memory and spirit, and are welcomed back to Earth during el Día de Muertos.

The revival of the observance of Día de Muertos in the United States is part of the Mexican American reclamation of Indigenous identity that began with the Chicano Movement, which spanned from the 1940s to the 1970s. This celebration continues to evolve in different ways in various regions, illustrating the importance of reclaiming cultural heritage and tradition. Within the United States, it has evolved as a mix of Latin American Indigenous practices, Roman Catholic spiritual traditions, and diasporic Hispano/a, and Latinx American cultural expression. Like many holidays, it is celebrated in different ways by individuals, families, and communities. Ofrendas (offerings) are made to honor those who have passed and often make creative or socially engaged statements.
Interested in sponsoring Día de Muertos?

Check out our sponsorship package or contact Cristina Gonzales at cagonzales@coloradocollege.edu.

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