Celebrate Día de los Muertos

Join us to honor our ancestors at Celebrate Día de los Muertos! Enjoy art-making, dance, music, and food throughout the weekend, explore our artist marketplace, and visit a community ofrenda to add memories and stories of your loved ones.

This year, Brooklyn-based artist Mincho Vega returns as BCM’s guest curator for a celebration of the traditions and histories of our ancestors from Latin America.

Programs

All programs and times are subject to change.

Spanish Immersion Puppet Show

🕒 10:30 am–11:15 am, 2:00 pm–2:30 pm

Discover the Guatemalan celebration of Día de Todos los Santos at a Spanish-language puppet show, presented by Karina Onofre. Enjoy singing and dancing while experiencing Guatemalan culture and traditions.

Danza Mexica: Ceremonial Dance

🕒 11:30 am–12:15 pm, 3:00 pm–3:45 pm

The Mexica people, like many other Native nations from the Americas, have a rich culture in which the principle of interconnectedness is central. Join Cetiliztli Nauhcampa for a memorable ceremony filled with Aztec dance and song, and come together to form our own community circle.

Cacao Chocolate-Making

🕒 12:30 pm–1:00 pm, 2:30 pm–3:00 pm

Explore the indigenous roots of chocolate at a workshop led by Marcela Alatorre of Mixteca. Learn about the benefits and significance of cacao to the Nahuatl culture, then try grinding cacao beans to make artisanal chocolate tablets.

Dia de los Muertos Storytelling

🕒 1:00 pm–1:30 pm, 4:00 pm–4:30 pm

Hear as Day of the Dead traditions are brought to life at this interactive storytelling session by artist Yadira De La Riva. Through books and activities, Yadira will explain the meaning of ofrendas and how they honor our loved ones who are with us in spirit.

On View

Community Ofrenda

🕒 All Day

Visit our community ofrenda, designed by Brooklyn-based artist and curator of today’s festival Mincho Vega (assisted by artists Johan and Adalhi). Leave an offering at the ofrenda to help us all remember, learn about, and celebrate the loss of our loved ones.

ColorLab Project

Barrilete Kites

🕒 10:30 am–12:30 pm, 2:30 pm–4:30 pm

30-minute workshops that repeat every 45 minutes.

Join our ColorLab art studio to learn about barriletes, a Guatemalan kite-making tradition, with Mayan artist Ixmucane Artisan. Craft your own kites using colorful tissue paper, bamboo, and more, and then practice flying them!

Rooftop Market

Art and Craft Marketplace

🕒 All Day

Explore and support the craft and artistry of local artists on our rooftop.

Taqueria El Patron Mexican Grill

🕒 11:00 am–4:30 pm

Grab a tasty bite from today’s special vendor, Taqueria El Patron. For years, Taqueria El Patron has been creating dishes that honor the traditional flavors of Mexico with a fresh and modern twist.

Music by DJ Farbeon

🕒 11:30 am–4:30 pm

DJ Farbeon will be spinning Latin, World, Soul, Funk, House, and Hip Hop to honor the many sounds of our ancestors.

Meet the Curator

Benjamin Rojas, also known as Mincho Vega, was born in 1979 to parents who had immigrated to California from El Salvador and grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area. Benjamin is an arts educator, father and visual artist. After moving to Brooklyn in 2004, Benjamin has explored the world of ofrenda (altars for the ancestors) building and installation. His ofrendas have been portals for community healing and ancestral meditation; each year they are built with a close group of community members and artists. In addition to installation art, Benjamin is an illustrator, painter, paper based artist and sculptor.

Follow Mincho Vega on Instagram at @minchovega.