Oakland’s Dia de los Muertos Free Virtual Community Celebration

Submitted by the Event Organizer

Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) will mark the 26th anniversary of its beloved El Día de los Muertos celebration with a series of free digital programs honoring Days of the Dead traditions that audiences can enjoy from home, including a virtual community celebration, a virtual field trip for families and students, and a virtual exhibition with highlights from the popular 2019 exhibition ¡El Movimiento Vivo! Chicano Roots of El Día de los Muertos.

In a year marked by collective loss, grief, and mourning–the experiences of COVID-19, wildfires, economic hardship, and the ongoing fight for racial and social justice–the traditions of El Día de los Muertos offer a space of healing and comfort. For over 25 years, OMCA has honored this holiday with an annual community festival created in partnership with OMCA’s El Día de los Muertos Volunteer Committee that attracts up to 5,000 visitors to the Museum and gardens each year. This year, the Museum is continuing its beloved annual tradition with a free virtual community celebration on October 25 from 2-3 pm PST.

This one-hour celebration will feature Mesoamerican traditions of ritual, music, dance, and ofrendas (altars) that help make sense of the context of this year and how traditions can heal and comfort, while teaching viewers how to build an altar for loved ones who have passed. After the event, viewers can enjoy a multigenerational conversation between teen Isabela Perez and the founding curator of OMCA’s Days of the Dead special exhibition, Bea Carrillo-Hocker, learn how to make papel picado with educator Rebecca Rocco, and explore ofrendas honoring those we mourn with the Omnira Institute. This virtual program is free with an RSVP via Eventbrite.

Disclaimer: Please double check event information with the event organizer as events can be canceled, details can change after they are added to our calendar, and errors do occur.