Celebrate the Day of the Dead in Longmont

Longmont’s annual Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebration, a time to honor and celebrate deceased loved ones, is the largest Day of the Dead celebration in Colorado, attracting more than 6,000 people to the exhibit, family event and related programming. Events on November 3 and 4 feature the Day of the Dead Family Celebration and the Gigantes Procession and Catrina Ball.

The Firehouse Art Center will host their 5th Annual Catrina Ball at the Dickens Opera House, 667 4th Avenue, Longmont, at 7 p.m., Friday, November 3. “It will be a party to die for…or at least an event to celebrate the lives of those who have already made the journey to the Great Beyond.” The name “Catrina Ball” refers to the Calavera Catrina—a sort of female version of the Grim Reaper that remains a central figure in Mexico’s cultural identity. Attendees are encouraged to come dressed as Catrinas, with fancy clothes and faces painted like skulls. The Dickens Opera House will be decorated and will feature an exhibition including a community ofrenda (altar), a community sugar skull wall, and a Catrina wall with drawings by local artists. The $5 admission includes deadly drinks, festive food, live music and an art auction.

The Gigantes Procession through downtown Loveland to the Ball begins at 5 p.m., Friday, November 3, at St. Stephen’s Plaza. Gather with Gigantes (giant puppets) and walk in the procession to the Catrina Ball.

For more info on the Catrina Ball and Gigantes procession, visit http://visitlongmont.org/firehouse-art-centers-5th-annual-catrina-ball-celebrates-day-dead/

On Saturday, November 4, from 11 a.m.-3 p.m., enjoy the Day of the Dead Family Celebration at the Longmont Museum, with live music and dancing, sugar skull decorating, traditional food, community altars, paper flower making, face painting, Lady Catrina, and more. Come dressed in your finest calaca (skeleton) apparel. Admission is free.

The Dia de los Muertos exhibition in the Swan Atrium of the Longmont Museum, 400 Quail Road, Longmont, will showcase traditional gigantes, giant puppets made by local artists. Altars for the dead, created by members of the community, will also be a central part of the exhibit. The exhibit is open through November 7. For more information, see https://longmontcolorado.gov/departments/departments-e-m/museum/education/day-of-the-dead

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