(PRINCETON, NJ) -- The Arts Council of Princeton (ACP) will present a series of free community programs and events in celebration of Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead. The events begin on October 28 with a free screening of SUGAR SKULL! and include a public lecture “Indigenous Influences on Día de los Muertos in Mexico” (November 2nd), a free community celebration (November 6) and the Dohm Alley Public Art Installation throughout November.

Día de los Muertos​​ is a holiday celebrated on the 1st and 2nd of November. It originated and is mainly observed in Mexico, but has also grown in popularity in the United States. Although associated with the Catholic celebrations of All Saints Day, it has a much less solemn tone and is portrayed as a holiday of joyful celebration, rather than one held in mourning. The multi-day holiday involves family and friends gathering to pay respects to loved ones who have died. 

“The Arts Council of Princeton is honored to have hosted our community's Día de los Muertos celebrations for more than 20 years”, shares Maria Evans, ACP Artistic Director. “This year is extra special: we've expanded our offerings to include something for everyone: all ages, interests, and backgrounds. We could not have done it without the help of the Torres-Olivares family who - every year - make hundreds of sugar skulls, design and build our ofrenda, and help plan the event. We cannot wait to see you for this beautiful and meaningful celebration.”

In addition to their long-standing and popular Day of the Dead community celebration, the Arts Council has added new programs to the commemoration of this culturally-rich holiday, including a public altar, or ofrenda, on view in the ACP’s Paul Robeson Center for the Arts throughout the month of November. Members of the public are invited to honor their lost loved ones by bringing a relic, photo, or favorite treat of the departed to leave on the ACP ofrenda to guide their spirits to the altar for the celebration, as is custom during family festivities. 

Also a new addition to the celebration is a public art installation in Dohm Alley, located next to Starbucks on Nassau Street. This passageway will be adorned with the traditional folk arts and symbols of Día de los Muertos​​, including papel picado, Cempazúchitl flowers, calaveras, and Monarch butterflies. This display is free and open for all to enjoy and learn the meaning behind each unique element.

Schedule of events

Thursday, October 28 from 6:00pm-7:00pm - Free Screening of SUGAR SKULL! with McCarter Theatre Center. Celebrate el Día de los Muertos with an in-person, family-friendly screening of the virtual online theater experience SUGAR SKULL! A Virtual Día de los Muertos Adventure. SUGAR SKULL! is a joyous, heartfelt, colorful, and captivating bilingual/bicultural adventure that delves into the rich, tuneful traditions of the Day of the Dead and features a company of gifted musicians and dancers. Ages 3+. Arts Council of Princeton, 102 Witherspoon Street.  

Tuesday, November 2 from 7:00pm-8:30pm - Free Public Lecture: “Indigenous Influences on Día de los Muertos in Mexico”. Join Trent Barnes, Ph.D. Postdoctoral Fellow in the Program in Latin American Studies at Princeton University, whose research explores the art and architecture of Teotihuacan. A rare opportunity to learn about the origins and aesthetics of ancient American cultural practices. Arts Council of Princeton, 102 Witherspoon Street.  

Saturday, November 6 from 3:00pm-5:00pm - Free Community Celebration. Celebrate Day of the Dead with strolling Mariachi, sugar skull decorating, folk arts and crafts, and delicious food. Enjoy a performance by Grupo de Danza Folklorica La Sagrada Familia and learn about this rich cultural holiday at this free, family-friendly afternoon event. Arts Council of Princeton, 102 Witherspoon Street. 

Throughout November - Dohm Alley Public Art Installation - The Day of the Dead will come alive in Dohm Alley with the help of local artists and the students from the ACP’s Princeton Young Achievers outreach program. This public art installation featuring the symbolic folk arts of Día de los Muertos will be free and open to the public to explore.

Throughout November - Public Altar - Day of the Dead altars, or ofrendas, are set up to honor loved ones who have passed. Altars are the most prominent feature in the celebration because they show the souls the way to their home. Traditions vary by region — the Arts Council’s altar features seven levels, each representing the seven heavenly virtues: faith, hope, charity, prudence, temperance, justice, and courage. A traditional altar will be installed for November for the public to add a relic or favorite item of lost loved ones to the altar and honor their memory.

This series of community programs is generously supported by the Princeton University Program in Latin American Studies, the Global History Lab of Princeton University, Princeton University Department of Spanish and Portuguese, Tacoria, and Cherry Grove Organic CSA.

The Arts Council of Princeton, a non-profit organization founded in 1967, fulfills its mission of building community through the arts by presenting a wide range of programs including public art projects, exhibitions, performances, free community cultural events, and studio-based classes and workshops. Arts Council of Princeton programs are designed to be high-quality, engaging, affordable and accessible for the diverse population in the greater Princeton region.