Austin's Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center is hosting two days of family-friendly celebrations this weekend, with a Halloween-season event on Saturday followed by its Día de los Muertos gathering on Sunday. The Día de los Muertos celebration, now in its 19th year, runs from 1 to 6 p.m. and is billed as a family-friendly, alcohol-free event centered on altars, art installations and activities for all ages.
The timing comes just months after the cultural center reopened following nearly three years of renovations, according to KXAN Austin. The upgrades added a new rehearsal space, classrooms, galleries, a teaching kitchen and additional gathering spaces, the station reported. It's a significant expansion for a building whose first opening dates back to September 2007, per the same report.
Olivia Tamzarian of the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center said the celebration is two days and is bigger than ever in the newly reopened building, according to KEYE. The station reported that visitors can explore community ofrendas, or altars, and are invited to bring offerings, fruit or meaningful items recalling loved ones.
Sunday's Día de los Muertos Program
Sunday's celebration honors Día de los Muertos, the Mexican tradition of honoring loved ones who have died, KEYE reported. Laura Olvera Ahmed, also with the cultural center, described the holiday as a beautiful celebration of life, according to the station's account. The Austin city government's event listing echoes that framing, describing the day as a way to welcome the memories of loved ones with altars, art installations and activities that foster an appreciation for the sweetness and fragility of life, per austintexas.gov.
The Sunday lineup includes live performances, traditional music and dance, and interactive workshops, KEYE reported, with regional Mexican music and salsa performances among the acts, alongside a performer identified as Miguel St. Michael. A floral artwork created by a San Antonio artist using sawdust, seeds, rose petals and leaves will be displayed in the MACC's dance studio, according to the same report.
Saturday's MexAmeriCon Comic Con
Saturday's event, running from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., is the ninth annual MexAmeriCon, a comic convention celebrating superheroes, graphic novels and Latino representation in pop culture, KEYE reported. The event bills itself as Central Texas' original Mexican American and Latinx comic book convention, according to austintexas.gov.
MexAmeriCon includes trick-or-treating, games, mask-making, superhero cape activities and live entertainment, per KEYE's reporting, with performer Andrea Daniela among those scheduled to appear. Families can also take part in flower crown-making and a food demonstration, the station reported. A vendor market featuring more than 20 local businesses and artisans will be available throughout the weekend, while the cultural center will use indoor spaces and its outdoor plaza.
A Building Built for the Occasion
The MACC's Recent Expansion The city's capital delivery office describes the expansion as supporting cultural events and gatherings. The office notes that the recently completed Phase 2 project, funded through the 2018 General Obligation Bond, added roughly 19,000 square feet of new interior and covered outdoor space while renovating existing facilities, according to the city's project page. The MACC is hosting MexAmeriCon on Saturday and its Día de los Muertos gathering on Sunday.
This year's Día de los Muertos event is its 19th annual edition. The MACC, which spent nearly three years closed for construction, is hosting back-to-back celebrations this weekend.
