Día de los Muertos (the Day of the Dead), traditionally a time when New Yorkers with Mexican heritage remember family members who have passed away, will begin next week.
The holiday, which falls from Oct. 31 to Nov. 2, is steeped in rich cultural traditions. Family members honor lost loved ones with sugar skulls, marigolds and musical performances.
Here are some of the cultural events organized to honor the Day of the Dead in New York City:
► Mano o Mano: Mexican Culture Without Borders
Where: 11th Street and Second Avenue, East Village
When: Friday, Oct. 28 to Monday, Oct. 31, 1 to 6 p.m.
Organized by a nonprofit dedicated to preserving Mexican cultural traditions, the Mano o Mano Day of the Dead event will remember Mexican women who have been violently killed by teaching visitors to make paper roses and placing them on a pink altar in their honor.
► Arts, Culture & Fun: Día De Los Muertos
Where: St. Mary's Park, St. Ann's Avenue and 145th Street, Mott Haven
When: Oct. 28 to Oct. 31, 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.
In a beloved local Day of the Dead celebration, St. Mary's Park in the Mott Haven neighborhood of The Bronx will become an open festival of dance performances, free Zumba lessons, poetry readings and communal altars that visitors can decorate.
► National Museum of the American Indian Day of the Dead Event
Where: 1 Bowling Green, Financial District
When: Saturday, Oct. 29, 12 to 5 p.m.
To learn more about the indigenous culture behind the Day of the Dad, stop by the National Museum of the American Indian to experience the migration of hundreds of monarch butterflies that traditionally accompanied the holiday and watch song and dance performances in the Nahuatl style.
► Fiesta del Día de los Muertos
Where: Corona Plaza, Roosevelt Avenue and National Street, Corona
When: Sunday, Oct. 29, 12 to 6 p.m.
Put together by the Queens Mexican-American community and artist Daniel del Valle, the Fiesta del Día de los Muertos in Queens is returning for a second year of music, drawing demonstrations and community altars put together by local artists and activists.
► Día de los Muertos Weekend Celebrations
Where: 2900 Southern Blvd., Belmont
When: Monday, Oct. 31 and Tuesday, Nov. 1
To honor the Mexican holiday and the end of its Frida Kahlo exhibit, the New York Botanical Garden will host a carnival procession with stilt dancers, La Catrina characters and musical performances by The Villalobos Brothers.
