New York

Friday, October 31

10 & 11 a.m.
School programs: Storytelling with the Colorado Sisters and hands-on workshops
School groups are invited to participate in this fun-filled morning of activities that include paper flower making and skull decorating workshop and stories by the Colorado Sisters. Groups must pre-register by calling 212-514-3705.

Saturday, November 1

ROTUNDA
1 & 4 p.m.
Cetilitzli Nauhcampa (Mexica Dance Troupe)
Cetilitzli Nauhcampa’s dances are a form of prayer that honors the elements, the plants and animals, and embodies their movements.

PAVILION
2 & 3 p.m.
Storytelling with the Colorado Sisters
Join Hortencia and Elvira Colorado as they share humorous stories of life and death in celebration of Day of the Dead—honoring our ancestors and loved ones who have died.

1–5 p.m. (ongoing)
Hands-on workshops

PAVILION LOBBY
Calacas Hecho de Papel (Skeleton Puppets)
Learn how to make and decorate skeleton figures, popular in any Day of the Dead fiesta. These figures are meant to depict a joyful afterlife.

EDUCATION CLASSROOM
Calaveritas (Small Skulls) and Calaveras (Big Skulls)
Sugar skulls are a traditional folk art from southern Mexico used to celebrate Day of the Dead. In this workshop, participants will decorate plaster skulls and add arms and legs.

ORIENTATION CLASSROOM
Mask Workshop
Masks are an important part of Mexico’s heritage and are worn on ceremonial occasions such as Carnival, Holy Week, and Day of the Dead. In this workshop, participants will decorate and adorn skull masks.

ROTUNDA
Cempasứchiles (Paper Flowers)
Cempasứchil is the Nahuatl (the language spoken by the Aztecs) word for marigolds which are used for El dia de los Muertos. The word means twenty-petal flower, referring to the many petals of the marigold. Both the aroma and the bright colorful petals of the cempasứchil guide the spirits to the family altar and offerings. Participants will make paper cempasứchiles in this workshop.

3–5 p.m.
MUSEUM ENTRANCE, 2ND FLOOR
Sugar Skulls (departing gifts)
Alfenique is the art of using sugar to create a variety of shapes, including skulls.  Made to celebrate holidays like Day of the Dead, the figures are true confectionary sculptures.  At this year’s festival, the artists Tlisza Jaurique (Mexica/Yaqui/Basque/Xicana) and Marcus Zilliox, and La Santisima Muerte will be handing out sugar skulls (while supplies last) at the end of the day’s festivities.

Washington, D.C.

Saturday & Sunday, November 1 & 2

10:30 a.m.—Noon
POTOMAC ALCOVE

• Traditional papel picado (“cut paper work”) demonstration by Catalina Delgado-Trunk (Mexican of Nahuatl/Culhuacán paternal ancestry)
• Sugar skull demonstration with Lucina Flores (Mexica)
• Ofrenda (“altar” or “offering”) demonstration featuring Guatemalan kites by Evelyn Orantes (Guatemalan Maya)
• Paper sculpture and papier mâché demonstration by Ruben Guzman Campos (Zapotec)

10:30 a.m.–2 p.m.
OUTDOOR FIREPIT
The museum’s celebrated Mitsitam Native Foods Cafe will be demonstrating some of the special foods created for the Muertos celebration including mole, pan de muerto, and tortillas.

Noon
THE POTOMAC
Los Tecuanes, based in Manassas, Virginia, from Acatlán de Osorio in the Mexican state of Puebla

1–4:30 p.m.
POTOMAC ALCOVE

• Traditional papel picado (“cut paper work”) demonstration by Catalina Delgado-Trunk (Mexican of Nahuatl/Culhuacán paternal ancestry)
• Sugar skull demonstration with Lucina Flores (Mexica)
• Ofrenda (“altar” or “offering”) demonstration featuring Guatemalan kites by Evelyn Orantes (Guatemalan Maya)
• Paper sculpture and papier mâché demonstration by Ruben Guzman Campos (Zapotec)

2:30 p.m.
THE POTOMAC
Los Tecuanes, based in Manassas, Virginia, from Acatlán de Osorio in the Mexican state of Puebla