The Penn Museum’s 15th annual CultureFest! Día de los Muertos celebration returns Oct. 24 with a large-scale ofrenda, live music and dance, bilingual storytelling and family activities.
This year’s centerpiece will be an ofrenda, a communal altar created to remember and honor loved ones who have died. Ofrendas traditionally incorporate elements such as marigolds, food, drinks and photographs. Artists Pamela Plata and Juanita Aguilar are creating this year’s installation, titled “When Spirits Dance: A Tribute to Amalia Hernández,” in honor of the Mexican choreographer and founder of Ballet Folklórico de México.
The festival will also include music by Esmeralda LaCor, a performance by Danza Tonantzin and two bilingual storytelling presentations of “La Catrina Monarca: El Vuelo Sagrado de las Almas/A Sacred Flight.”
The first storytelling presentation begins at noon. Danza Tonantzin performs at 1:40 p.m., followed by a second storytelling presentation at 2:20 p.m.
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At 3:15 p.m., attendees can sample pan de muerto, a traditional sweet bread associated with Día de los Muertos, along with Mexican hot chocolate. Winners of the Community Altar Contest will be announced at 3:30 p.m., followed by a Family Adventures gallery activity.
The all-day festival runs from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Penn Museum, 3260 South St. All CultureFest! activities are included with museum admission. Tickets cost $23 for adults, $21 for seniors and $14 for youth ages 6-17 and college students. Children 5 and under, Penn students and faculty or staff with ID, and Penn Museum members are admitted free.
Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a Mexican tradition with roots in Indigenous traditions and later Catholic observances. The holiday centers on remembrance, with families honoring loved ones who have died through ofrendas, food, flowers, photographs and other traditions.
CultureFest! Día de los Muertos
Date: Saturday, Oct. 24
Time: 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Location: Penn Museum, 3260 South St., Philadelphia, PA 19104
Cost: Included with Penn Museum admission
Free admission: Penn Museum members, PennCard holders and Penn Medicine patients and staff
What to expect: Large-scale ofrenda, live music and dance, bilingual storytelling, artisan marketplace, family activities and an altar competition
Food: Free samples of pan de muerto and Mexican hot chocolate at 3:15 p.m.
Event partner: Mexican Cultural Center
Find more upcoming events here.
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