Museum of Northern Arizona exterior

MNA, Nuestras Raíces Present 11th Annual Celebraciones de la Gente

(Flagstaff, Ariz.) September 30, 2014 – Celebrate Mexican cultural traditions in a festive and vibrant setting at the 11th Annual Celebraciones de la Gente, a lively festival of the Day of the Dead, Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 25 and 26, from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. at the Museum of Northern Arizona. Festival admission is $10 adults, $9 seniors (65+), $7 students (with ID), $6 American Indians, and $6 youths (10-17). Children 10 and under are free.

Visitors will have the opportunity to buy arts and crafts directly from participating artists while enjoying traditional food, music, lectures, artistic workshops, and dance performances by local, national and, international presenters. Mariachi Sol Azteca, In Tlanextli Tlacopan Aztec Fire Dancers, and Ballet Folklórico de Colores will perform both Saturday and Sunday in the museum’s Branigar Hall. Festival favorites and Valley artists Zarco and Carmen Guerrero will delight audiences through interactive storytelling and song, while children of all ages will enjoy not-to-be missed Day of the Dead inspired crafts and activities like sugar skull decorating and mask making.

Celebraciones de la Gente is presented by the Museum of Northern Arizona in partnership with Flagstaff’s Nuestras Raíces, a local grassroots organization of Flagstaff’s Hispanic pioneer families from the 1900s, dedicated to promoting Mexican, Mexican-American, and Hispanic cultures.

The museum’s historic Jaime Golightly courtyard will be transformed — decorated with brightly colored papel picado (paper banners), candles and flower-and-memento-filled ofrendas (altars) honoring deceased loved ones created by local families and artists in Flagstaff.

“The festival is a joyous celebration that conveys the belief that death is not the end, but rather the beginning of a new stage in life,” said Linda Martin, Heritage Program Manager at the Museum of Northern Arizona. “It is a way for the community and families to honor those who have departed and transform grief into music, dance, art and a celebration of life. This is one of the largest Day of the Dead festivals in Arizona.”

Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos), an ancient pre-Columbian observance, is held throughout Mexico, Latin America, and the Southwest on November 1 and 2 (All Saint’s Day and All Soul’s Day). Today’s celebrations fuse centuries of indigenous practices with contemporary traditions and spiritual beliefs. Altars, marigold flowers, sugar skulls, skeleton caricatures, pan de muerto (bread of the dead) and photos of those who have passed take center stage. While each event is different from the next, central to every celebration is a gathering of friends and family who visit cemeteries to remember their loved ones.

“Community participation is an essential part of this holiday,” said Martin. “It is a weekend full of life, reflection, family, and fun.”

Event Schedule

Saturday, October 25, 2014
12:15 p.m. Ballet Folklórico de Colores
1:30 p.m. Singing & Storytelling with Zarco and Carmen Guerrero
2:45 p.m. Mariachi Sol Azteca
4:00 p.m. In Tlanextli Tlacopan Aztec Fire Dancers

Sunday, October 26, 2014
12:00 p.m. Los Compadres Band
12:45 p.m. Ballet Folklórico de Colores
2:15 p.m. Mariachi Sol Azteca
3:30 p.m. In Tlanextli Tlacopan Aztec Fire Dancers
4:30 p.m. Closing Procession

In addition to a robust visual and performing arts schedule, Heritage Insight lectures by artists and scholars will showcase traditions and contemporary issues of the Latino community. Historian Mark O’ Hare and Maureen Kirk-Detberner will present documentary work on the Wilbur-Cruce Colonial Spanish Horse Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 25 and 26, at 1 p.m., Chelsea Halstead of the Colibri Center for Human Rights will discuss migrant death on the U.S./Mexico border, and multi-media artist Irma Sanchez will explore the cultural identity of today’s Latino(a) communities.

A members’ preview Friday, October 24, from 6 to 8 p.m., includes a silent auction and first opportunity to purchase artwork from the artists. To become a member of the Museum of Northern Arizona, call 928.774.5213, ext 219.

The Museum of Northern Arizona is located at 3101 N. Fort Valley Road, three miles from downtown Flagstaff on scenic Highway 180 leading to the Grand Canyon.

The event is made possible through generous support from the Arizona Commission on the Arts which receives support from the State of Arizona and the National Endowment for the Arts, City of Flagstaff BBB Revenues, Flagstaff Arts Council, and the Coconino County Board of Supervisors.

For more information on the 11th Annual Celebraciones de la Gente, including a complete list of scheduled performances and participating artists, visit the museum’s website. Information is also available by phone at 928.774.5213.

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