LONGMONT, Colo. – The Latin American tradition of Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, has found a home at the Longmont Museum. On November 1, from 11 am to 4 pm, celebrate Day of the Dead with a free festival of music, dance, paper flowers, sugar skulls, masks, altars and more!  The Longmont Museum began organizing this celebration 13 years ago and it is now the largest of its kind in Colorado.

The celebration includes: decorating sugar skulls, paper flower making, mask making, face painting, sawdust carpet making. Samples of pan de Muertos and Mexican hot chocolate will be available. The Museum’s courtyard will fill with the sounds of mariachi music and the colorful dresses of folklorico dancers. All events are free of charge.

Entertainment schedule:
11:00 am  Coro San Juan singers
12 noon   Mariachi Vasquez
1:15 pm   Nuhucalli dancers
2:15 pm   Fiesta Colorado dancers
3:10 pm   Bailes de mi Tierra dancers

The Museum’s Day of the Dead exhibition will be open free of charge all day on November 1. It highlights the traditions of Oaxaca, Mexico, and includes photographs of the celebration in Oaxaca by Professor Denis Defibaugh. Also in the exhibition are large alfombras, brightly colored sawdust carpets created by community volunteers, and altars created by local families and organizations in honor of loved ones who have passed away. Artist Rob Yancey, “El Guero Santero,” will show his colorful wood carvings in the Museum’s Portal Gallery.

Parking at the Longmont Museum is limited due to construction of the Museum’s expansion – participants in Day of the Dead are encouraged to walk, bike, or take Longmont’s free public transit route 324 to the event. Also due to construction, the Museum will not be serving the full complement of traditional food as in past years, but food trucks will be selling food at the event. 

Support for the celebration of Day of the Dead at the Longmont Museum has been provided by the Longmont Community Foundation, the Community Foundation Serving Boulder County, and the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District, with additional support from many other individuals and businesses in the community.

Information about the Longmont Museum

The Longmont Museum is a center for art and culture in northern Colorado. The Museum’s permanent exhibitions highlight the history of Longmont and the northern Colorado Front Range, and its special exhibitions range from major artists such as Ansel Adams, John J. Audubon, and Edward Weston, to hands-on explorations of transportation, culture, and technology. For more information, contact the Museum at 303-651-8374, or visit www.longmontcolorado.gov/museum.

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