Arts & Entertainment
Brooklyn Children's Museum Honors Ancestors with Día de los Muertos Celebration
Community comes together to remember loved ones through dance, art, storytelling, and a shared ofrenda.
On November 1, Brooklyn Children's Museum invites families to celebrate Día de los Muertos, honoring the lives and memories of those who have passed. The Day of the Dead festival brings together Mexican and Guatemalan traditions through dance, storytelling, kite-making, and a community ofrenda where families gather to remember their loved ones.
At the heart of the festival sits a community ofrenda designed by Brooklyn-based artist Benjamin Rojas (Mincho Vega) and artists Johann and Adalhi Armendáriz-Mittnacht. Families can leave offerings, share photographs, and add their own tributes to loved ones at this collaborative altar that grows during the course of the day.
Calpulli Mexican Dance Company brings traditional Mexican folkloric dance to life with vibrant costumes and rhythms, while Karina Onofre presents bilingual puppet shows about Día de los Santos celebrations in Guatemala. Artist Yadira De La Riva leads storytelling sessions that teach children about ofrendas and honoring ancestors. Throughout the day, DJ Farbeon spins Latin, World, Soul, Funk, House, and Hip Hop.
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Families can craft giant barrilete kites with Mayan artist Ixmucane Artisan in the ColorLab studio, learning about this Guatemalan tradition of honoring and communicating with ancestors. On the rooftop, an arts and crafts marketplace showcases local Latinx artists while Taqueria El Patron serves food throughout the day.
“Brooklyn Children’s Museum creates space for cultural connections to happen,” says Atiba T. Edwards, President and CEO of Brooklyn Children’s Museum. “When families connect with their ancestors at our ofrenda, when children connect with cultural traditions through kite-making and dance, culture is being lived and passed forward. Making those connections is what we do best.”
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In addition to the November 1 celebration, the Museum will present a Corn Dance Workshop with Cetiliztli Nauhcampa on Thursday, October 30 from 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm. Dancers will perform the corn harvest cycle through traditional Aztec ceremonial dance as a prelude to the weekend's festivities.
BCM's Celebrate Día de los Muertos festival runs from 10 am to 5 pm and is included with regular museum admission ($15 per person, free for members). For tickets and more information, visit www.brooklynkids.org/programs/celebrate-dia.
