The City of Raleigh Museum is marking a decade of honoring Día de los Muertos this Friday, Nov. 6, with an evening built around altars, live music, poetry from local schoolchildren, and traditional refreshments. The 10th annual celebration brings together several community groups for what organizers describe as a night of music, dance, poetry, art, traditional flavors, and community.
According to the Raleigh Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources Department, the museum will come alive with those elements as the 10th annual celebration unfolds this Friday. The event is presented by Artist Studio Project in collaboration with the City of Raleigh Museum and the Friends of COR Museum, according to a program listing from iamquixote.com.
An Altar Honoring a Printmaking Icon
Centerpiece of the night is an altar honoring José Guadalupe Posada, the Mexican printmaker whose calavera imagery became a lasting symbol of Día de los Muertos. The altar is being created by visual artist Lety Alvarez, per the same program listing. The night also includes calaveritas, the short satirical poems traditionally associated with the holiday, performed by young poets from Maracas Montessori's full Spanish immersion programs.
Music for the evening comes from performers Ana Jimena and Juan de la Masa, the program notes. Guests can also expect face painting from Patricia Robles Castillo, a staple of the holiday's visual tradition, and hot chocolate provided by the Dominican Association of North Carolina.
Free Admission, Limited Details on Hours
A listing on Eventbrite describes the gathering as a free community celebration. The city's own event page lists the time as 6:30 to 9 p.m. at the City of Raleigh Museum, according to raleighnc.gov.
With a decade of these gatherings now behind it, the celebration has grown into a recurring fixture pairing cultural tradition with hands-on community participation, from the youth poets reciting calaveritas to the altar makers and musicians filling the museum with a mix of remembrance and festivity this Friday evening.
