Día de los Muertos

On Sunday, November 3, the History Museum will join with Casa Círculo Cultural and the Parks and Arts Foundation to present a Día de los Muertos celebration.  In front of the museum, Courthouse Square will be decorated with sugar skulls, marigolds, and lights. Dancers, artists, and musicians will perform. Entertainment on the Square will begin at 3:30 p.m. and ends at 8:30 p.m.

The museum will be open with free admission from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m on Sunday, November 3 and host free children’s crafts in the Rotunda. Entrance to the crafts and general admission will be through the main entrance on Broadway.

The Festival of the Altars will be in Courtroom A and the Atkinson Room. There will be a special entrance on the Middlefield Road side of the History Museum for those wishing to view the altars.

Altars will remain on display through Friday, November 8, and there will be free admission on Friday, November 8. If you are interested in having an altar on display, contact [email protected].

This year’s event, inspired by Diego Rivera’s iconic mural, Dream of a Sunday Afternoon in Alameda Park, explores the profound relationship between life and death, a theme central to Mexican culture and tradition. Rivera’s depiction of death in Mexican history is symbolized most prominently by La Catrina, a female skelton often dressed in elaborate costumes. Originally an etching by José Guadalupe Posada, La Catrina represents the idea that death is a universal equalizer, regardless of social status. The event will explore this interplay between life and death, deeply embedded in Mexican cultural and social fabric.

La Catrina shown in the Festival of the Altars, 2021.

Festival of Altars

Community members will create the Festival of Altars in Courtroom A. The altars traditionally honor family members who have passed and include some simple and some elaborate creations. They are often full of objects giving life to dead adult relatives, including food and drink.  Altars dedicated to dead children include toys, candies and other goodies.

If you are interested in having an altar on display, contact [email protected].