8 Things to do at the Dia de los Muertos Celebration
Posted: October 28, 2019 | Author: Savannah Byers | Read Time: 2 minutes
Southern Utah University will be holding its fifth annual celebration of the traditional Mexican holiday Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, Saturday, November 2 from 2-6 p.m. at the Beverley Taylor Sorenson Center for the Arts. All activities are free of cost and open to the public. This year’s theme is the Monarch Butterfly Migration.
Here are 8 things to look forward to this year!
- Southern Utah Museum of Art Exhibition
The Southern Utah Museum of Art will be displaying student submitted artwork of and inspired by the monarch butterfly. Monarch butterflies migrate to Mexico for the winter season around the Dia de los Muertos holiday. In Mexican tradition, monarch butterflies are believed to be spirits of the deceased.
SUMA will also be showcasing artwork by Jimmie Jones from his time in Mexico as part of the Day of the Dead exhibit. The exhibit will run from October 14 to November 9, 2019.
- Frehner Museum Activity
This year, the Garth and Jerri Frehner Museum of Natural History will be leading activities to teach visitors about monarch butterflies. Activities include making edible candy replicas of the monarch's life cycle and making paper mosaic monarch butterflies.
- Ballet Folclórico Herencia Hispana
The Utah Shakespeare Festival’s Greenshow space will be utilized for live performances by the Ballet Folclórico Herencia Hispana. This traditional dance group is based in Cedar City and will be returning from last year’s celebration.
- Coloring
Several of SUU’s Art Department students have created coloring sheets inspired by the monarch butterflies of Dia de los Muertos. These coloring sheets and art supplies will be available all day November 2.
- Bilingual Storytime
Members of SUU’s Hispanic Honors Society, Sigma Delta Pi, will be holding a series of bilingual storytimes throughout the November 2 celebration. The stories will focus on the Dia de los Muertos celebration and will be read in both Spanish and English.
- Food
Experience some of the classic foods of Dia de los Muertos. SUU will have traditional Mexican sweet treats such as pan de muerto available, as well as a hot beverage station and local food trucks.
- Face Painting
Face painting will be available for everyone throughout the celebration again this year.
- Sugar Skull Decorating
Another traditional component of Dia de los Muertos is sugar skull decorating. This will be available for everyone on November 2 as well.
This year’s celebration is made possible by SUMA, SUU Art and Design, SUU Languages & Philosophy, SUU Alumni and Community Relations, SUU College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Garth and Jerri Frehner Museum of Natural History, SUU Center for Diversity and Inclusion, SUU Latinx Student Alliance, SUU Student Programming Board, and Utah Shakespeare Festival. The event is sponsored in part by Artisans Gallery.