Come Celebrate 2020 Dia de los Muertos

POUGHKEEPSIE – The Folk Arts Program at Arts Mid-Hudson and Poughkeepsie Public Library District present a series of events for Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) program from October 26th to November 7th, 2020, including workshops on the history of the holiday, sugar skull decorating, and ofrendas (altars) along Middle Main. The program is free but requires registration.

Día de los Muertos is celebrated in Mexico and other Latin American countries each year between November 1 and November 2. The holiday, which honors relatives and friends who have died, is marked by a series of festive activities. Family and friends pay tribute to their loved ones by building an ofrenda. Families also gather at the cemetery, where they honor their deceased loved ones with music and holiday foods. Prevalent among the holiday’s imagery are artistic, whimsical representations of skulls and skeletons, bright colors, and lively music.

This year’s events include workshops to make sugar skulls and papel picado, presentations related to the history and food of Día de Los Muertos, ofrendas throughout the library, a special children’s program, a mask decorating workshop for adults, a community altar at the library, and a street of ofrendas in shops and restaurants along Middle Main. All programs will be both in person (pending government regulations with limited attendance), virtual, and bilingual. For the sugar skull and papel picado workshops, 10 people will attend in person, 15 more will be provided with kits, and all others will receive a list of materials.

The workshops will be broadcast via Zoom and Facebook live. Recordings will be available on the Arts Mid-Hudson Youtube channel click here and Poughkeepsie Public Library District Youtube channel click here.

On November 1 and 2, there will be a community altar on the lawn in the Adriance parking lot off of Noxon. Community members are encouraged to contribute to the altar while observing COVID-19 safety protocols. During the week of November 1-7, there will be an altar for pets on the 2nd floor and children can place photos of their past pets on the altar.

Take a walk on Middle Main from ABC Latino to La Cabanita, to see the ofrendas en las calles. Passports are available and each business with an ofrenda will hand out a sticker to mark seeing that ofrenda. Children or families who bring a completed passport back to the library will receive a certificate. Be sure to support these businesses when you drop in for a visit.

This program is made possible through funds from the Stewart’s Shop Holiday Funds.