Celebrate Día De Muertos At Cleveland Public Theatre

Día de Muertos Ohio and Cleveland Public Theatre / Teatro Público de Cleveland presents the 17th Annual Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) Festival in Cleveland's Detroit Shoreway neighborhood on Saturday, October 30 from 11am to 10pm, to take place at Cleveland Public Theatre, 6205 Detroit Avenue, in the Gordon Square Arts District. Masks are required when indoors. / Todos los eventos se llevarán acabo en: Cleveland Public Theatre - Church, Parish Hall, & surrounding area 6205 Detroit Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44102. Se requieren máscaras en interiores.

This free, all-ages event opens at 11am and includes pan de muerto (the traditional Day of the Dead bread), craft workshops, and holiday vendors. The main programming kicks off at 3:30pm with a community procession of "Skulls & Skeletons" along Detroit Avenue starting at Cleveland Public Theatre. The festivities will continue through 10pm with live music and performance, Latin food, and visual art exhibits. This time-honored tradition of honoring the ancestors includes a colorful display of altars (ofrendas or retablos) created by local artists. This year, there will be no face painting at the event, and we recommend participants paint before arriving. / Este año no haremos maquillaje de caras, recomendamos que cada quien lo haga en su casa.

The Procession of "Skulls & Skeletons" has returned once again this year, and requires mandatory registration due to increased popularity. All parade participants are required to register at the event. / Todos los participantes para el desfile deberán registrarse el mismo día en las mesas de enfrente.

According to CPT's Executive Artistic Director, Raymond Bobgan: "This year, we celebrate 17 remarkable years. Every fall, this vibrant festival fills the campus with music, food, and stunning art - and we remember, honor, and celebrate our loved ones. Día de Muertos is one of our favorite times of the year, and we are so grateful for our partnership with Héctor Castellanos Lara and Día de Muertos Ohio. The event continues to grow in so many beautiful ways - the work Día de Muertos Ohio does in the community is exceptional."

Click here for COVID-19 Safety Protocols / Haga clic aquí para ver los protocolos de COVID-19.

Although its name may sound grim, the Día de los Muertos holiday has its origins in the Aztec rituals of Mexico and other indigenous tribes of Latin America. An internet search of "Día de los Muertos" will yield any number of links to websites explaining and promoting the holiday. But the primary elements of this celebration indicate that the special nature of the occasion is to honor one's ancestors and commemorate beloved ones who have passed. For the Aztecs and others with similar beliefs, honoring and calling upon the ancestors was integrated with harvest festivities, and gathering family to remember past family and friends with fondness and happy memories.

Traditional arts, flowers, food, music, dance, and fun are integral to the cultural mix, as are particular items specific to the holiday, such as the altars (ofrendas). Elements of the earth (salt), wind (cut paper decorations, papeles picados), fire (candles), and water are among the items included on some altars. However, the traditions and rituals are widely varied throughout Mexico, Latin America, Spain, and other countries. When the Spaniards conquered the New World, the indigenous holiday was commingled and integrated with the Catholic All Saints and All Souls Days.

The image of Catrina, the traditional "Lady of the Dead" goddess of the Aztecs, is a smiling skeleton. However gruesome or scary this or the idea of skulls is to Western culture, for the Aztecs skulls symbolized new life. Multiple colorful sculptures of candy skulls (calaveras) and skeletons (catrinas) are bursting with color and created with lighthearted and funny poses of the living. This deeply spiritual and yet exuberant celebration can often reflect more of an attitude about enjoying a higher level of consciousness and living life to the fullest.

For more information, visit Día de Muertos Ohio on Facebook or www.diademuertosohio.com, or call Cleveland Public Theatre (216) 621-2727 ext. 501.

FULL SCHEDULE OF EVENTS: 17TH ANNUAL DÍA DE MUERTOS / DAY OF THE DEAD

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 30 / SÁBADO, 30 DE OCTUBRE

All events take place at / Todos los eventos se llevarán acabo en:

Cleveland Public Theatre

Church, Parish Hall, & surrounding area,

6205 Detroit Avenue, Cleveland OH 44102

11:00am - 10:00pm | Altars Exhibition, Cemetery Installations, & Performances / Exhibición de Altares, Cementerio de Instalaciones y Presentaciones Artísticas
11:00am - 8:00pm | Folk Art Market / Mercado de Artesanías
3:30pm - 4:15pm | "Skulls & Skeletons" Procession / "Procesión de Calaveras y Esqueletos"

OFFICIAL ALTARS / ALTARES OFICIALES:
Lizbeth Broach, Robin VanLear "Honoring Murphy", Mark Yasenchak, Katherine Stack & Natasha Troicky, Rebecca Hopkins, Flor Lujan, Urban Community School & Viva Craig

CEMETERY INSTALLATIONS BY / INSTALACIONES EN EL CEMENTERIO POR:
Mark & Patty Jenks, Nina Huryn & Ted Olah, Ian Petroni

PARISH HALL - FREE PERFORMANCES / PRESENTACIONES ARTÍSTICAS GRATUITAS
Dance & Music / Danza Y Música
12:45pm - 1:45pm | Dueto Maravilla (Romantic Mexican popular songs)
2:00pm - 3:00pm | Mi Quetzalenses (Marimba of Guatemala)
4:30pm - 4:50pm | Danza Azteca Guadalupana
5:00pm - 5:30pm | Dance by Julia de Burgos Cultural Arts Center
5:30pm - 6:30pm | Music
6:30pm - 8:00pm | Rice & Beans Latin Jazz Band
8:30pm - 10:00pm | Free Form Music

CHURCH - FREE PERFORMANCES / PRESENTACIONES ARTÍSTICAS GRATUITAS
Music / Música
1:00pm - 2:00pm | Alphonso Linarez - International Guitar
2:00pm - 3:00pm | Jerry Lou Lugo (Viola) & Carly Stunek (Violin)
6:30pm - 7:30pm | Ariel Clayton - Violin

OUTDOORS - PARADE / DESFILE (3:30pm - 4:15pm)
"Skulls & Skeletons" Procession will take place along Detroit Avenue.
Open to the public. / Abierto a todo el público.
Grand Marshal / Gran Mariscal Matt Zone | Front Banner / Bandera Olga Rosado | And the fabulous mariachi / Y el fabulosa mariachi Santa Cecilia

All parade participants are required to register at the event. / Todos los participantes para el desfile deberán registrarse el mismo día en las mesas de enfrente.
No face painting at event, we recommend participants paint before arriving. / Este año no haremos maquillaje de caras, recomendamos que cada quien lo haga en su casa.

3:30pm | Depart CPT's Parish Hall (6205 Detroit Avenue)
1st Stop | Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church (West 70th Street & Detroit Avenue)
2nd Stop | Craciun Berry Funeral Home (West 72nd Street & Detroit Avenue)
4:15pm | Return to Cleveland Public Theatre

Learn more at www.diademuertosohio.com.

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