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Día de los Muertos: Calaveras y Ofrendas

November 3, 2018 @ 4:00 pm - 10:00 pm

During Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, sweet calaveras (sugar skulls) are placed on home altars. Names are written on the skulls that serve as a token of remembrance, and the deceased’s favorite foods and drinks are placed as ofrendas (offerings) for their return. You can learn more about these offerings that are based on the traditions of Meso-Americans and Catholicism.

The event will highlight the traditions of celebrating and honoring the deceased through a community altar exhibit, which will be on display from Nov. 3 to Nov. 18. The vibrant and festive centerpiece is an altar sponsored by the museum’s Collections Department. The altar will feature photographs of unidentified persons from the museum collection, which are currently housed in the Margaret H. McAllen Memorial Archives. Those nameless individuals will not only be honored and remembered but are a reminder of the importance of preservation practices and the need to document family photographs.

And, for the first time at the museum, local Tejano singer Veronique Medrano will perform at 5:20 p.m. Medrano launched her debut album “Encantadora” in 2013 and has since been nominated three times at the Tejano Music Awards. The Brownsville native will be available after the performance to sign copies of any one of her three albums including “Loteria” that can be purchased on site.

Roma native Melenie Lissette Gonzalez will perform at 6:20 p.m. Earlier this year, Gonzalez was the first female teenager to win the Conjunto Grand Prize in the 2018 Texas Folklife Big Squeeze competition. She started playing accordion at the age of 14, and was taught by instructors Jesus and Jaime Lozano at Roma High School. Let’s see this talented young woman play!

If you want your children to learn more about Día de los Muertos, Book Buzz, a student literacy organization from UTRGV, will host book presentations in the River Highway gallery from 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Also, be sure to make time to explore the signature Rio Grande Legacy exhibition, which will include museum volunteers in costumes, and discover the history of this bicultural region.

There will be plenty of family activities to enjoy inside and around the museum, in addition to dance and musical performances. Bring cash to purchase food, crafts and gifts.

The special event admission fees are $8 for adults (ages 18+); $6 for seniors with ID (ages 62+), active military and students with ID (ages 13+); $5 for children (ages 4 to 12) and free for children ages 3 and younger. FRIENDS of MOSTHistory are admitted free as a benefit of FRIENDship and must provide an active FRIENDship card to enter free. For more information on the event or becoming a FRIEND, please call 956-383-6911 or visit www.mosthistory.org/events.

Activities/Demonstrators

  • Face painting by Balloons and Faces
  • Face painting by A Royal Celebration
  • Living history and photo opportunity by Los Liberadores
  • Book presentations (4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the River Highway gallery) by Book Buzz UTRGV
  • Cempaschuil/flower making
  • Paper and marshmallow skull craft
  • Sugar skull decorating
  • ECISD Longoria Middle School Art Department display
  • Flower Arch (photo op)
  • Monarch butterfly wings (photo op)
  • Panteon
  • St. John’s Episcopal School student art display

Artisans/Vendors

  • Cielito Lindo Boutique
  • Traditional Clothing from Oaxaca and Guerrero
  • Pottery by Gaby Gonzalez
  • Love, Caroline O.
  • Jewelry by Yolanda Zarate
  • Manos Artesanales/Emma’s Art Decor
  • Artesanos Mexicano
  • Iba Sisters Handmade
  • Gabriel Artemis by H.I.S.
  • Madre Mia Designs
  • Maricela’s Creations
  • Cinco Wildflowers
  • La Semilla Shop
  • Veronique Medrano
  • Catrinas, bags and blouses
  • Totome
  • Paper-mache catrinas and tile mosasics

Food

  • Tacos (guisadas en olla de barro) and candies by Emmanuel Banquets
  • Elotes and snacks by E&B Elotes
  • Special-craft hot dogs by Qweenie food truck
  • Korean-Mexican fusion tacos by Nuri Taco Food Truck
  • Snacks and raspas
  • Sodas sold by local chapter Boy Scouts
  • Pozole, champurrado and tamales
  • Pan dulce by La Mexican Bakery

Schedule of Performances (as of 10/30/2018)

4 p.m. — Edinburg North High School Mariachi Oro

4:20 p.m. — Totome & Conceptos Entidad Dancistica

4:50 p.m. — Edinburg Folklorico Dance Team

5 p.m. — PSJA North Grupo Folklorico Ichtequi, PSJA Liberty Middle School Grupo Folklorico Aguila, PSJA LBJ Middle School Grupo Folklorico Tlacatsintli, PSJA North Early College High School

5:10 p.m. — RGV Folklorico Dance Company

5:20 p.m. — Veronique Medrano

6 p.m. — Grupo Folklorico Juvenil de Palmview, Las Palmas Community Center Ballet Folklorico

6:20 p.m. — Melenie Lissette Gonzalez

6:45 p.m. — Grupo Folklorico Herence de mi Tierra from Leo J. Leo Elementary in La Joya I.S.D., Danzart Centro Dancistico, Mission Parks and Recreation Ballet Folklórico, Edinburg High School Ballet Folklórico, Grupo Folklórico Coyametl and El Mariachi Fuego Azul from PSJA Southwest Early College High School


Details

Date:
November 3, 2018
Time:
4:00 pm - 10:00 pm
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