Mexico’s unique customs for honoring the dearly departed will be showcased in a multitude of Day of the Dead events programmed in the Lake Chapala area throughout the coming week.
In addition to the happenings in major population hubs listed below, similar activities will take place in Jocotepec and other lakeshore villages.
CHAPALA
Chapala’s Preparatoria Regional high school gets things rolling with the annual Festival de Vida y Muerte, set for October 30 through November 2.
Students will read out entries in the school’s calavera (satirical death poem) literary contest Monday, October 30, noon, at the Prepa (high school) auditorium. The program moves off campus Tuesday, October 31, 6 p.m., with a presentation of local legends and scary stories at the Centro Cultural Antigua Presidencia, Avenida Madero next door to Banamex.
A program of performance arts set for Wednesday, November 1, 5 p.m., Fuente de Pescadores, Madero at Ramón Corona, will feature appearances by five musical groups, the Prepa’s modern dance company and a troupe of puppeteers.
Festival activities culminate Thursday, November 2 with the multifaceted Dia de Muertos exhibition set up on Avenida Madero, from the Hidalgo intersection to the waterfront. It will include dozens of memorial altars dedicated to human rights activists displayed on both sides of the street, model tombstones set up outside the San Francisco Church on the site of Chapala’s first graveyard, and a seasonal gastronomy fair, open for public viewing 4 to 10 p.m. Students will hold a funeral march tied to the theme of racism, intolerance and the death of the American Dream, starting at the Madero traffic light, 7:30 p.m., winding through town via Morelos, Guerrero, Miguel Martinez and the main avenue to end at the church for a symbolic burial ceremony.
AJIJIC
Preparations for Ajijic’s November 2 night time festivities begin at 10 a.m. with the elaboration of tinted sawdust carpets along Calle Parroquia and the installation of memorial altars and catrina (skeleton) figures at the plaza.
For insights on Dia de Muertos history and customs, bilingual guide Vivian Michel leads back-to-back tours of the local cemetery, starting at 3 and 5 p.m. from the lower entrance on Calle Ocampo. Purchase advance tickets for 100 pesos at the Lake Chapala Society, October 30 through November 2, 10 a.m. to noon.
A lively Noche de Muertos parade heads out from the cemetery, 7 p.m., running along Ocampo to Seis Esquinas, veering off to the plaza via Hidalgo. All are welcome to join the fun dressed up in typical Mexican costumes and face paint.
Cultural programs at the plaza and Centro Cultural (CCA) get under way at 6 p.m. Take part in lighting candles to illuminate of memorial skull mural created by Efren Gonzalez, Calle Marcos Castellanos opposite the San Andrés church, from 8 p.m.
Interconnected activities continue through the weekend. A program of traditional Mexican music is set for Friday, November 3, 7 p.m., outside the CCA. Look for an exhibition of catrinas and live music at the Andador Axixic pedestrian zone, Calle Morelos, Saturday, November 4, from 6 p.m. The El Forito theater troupe stages “La Muerte de Cada Día” on Sunday, November 5, 6 p.m., at CCA. Advance tickets 80 pesos, admission at the door 100 pesos.
IXTLAHUACAN DE LOS MEMBRILLOS
Ixtlahuacán de los Membrillos pulls out all the stops for the third annual Festival Día de Muertos, running November 3-5. The local government will erect a giant catrina figure, claimed to be the world’s tallest, as the centerpiece at the town plaza. A purse of 250,000 pesos will be split up among winners of various artistic contests related to Day of the Dead customs.
The program for Friday, November 3 features the display of entries in the corona (memorial wreath) competition, at noon, and the fashion parade of novias alegres (live skeleton brides), 5 p.m. A huge Dia de Muertos theme parade along central streets starts at 7 p.m., to be followed by live entertainment at the plaza forum.
Activities set for Saturday, November 4, include the memorial altar contest, displayed along Avenida Santiago, the main entrance to town, from 1 p.m.; the parade of catrina impersonators competing in three categories, 5 p.m., and the presentation of Tlayohua Miketl, a Dia de Muertos stage spectacle, 8 p.m., at the forum.
The highlight for Sunday, November 5, is the competition in carpets made with colored sawdust, seeds, flowers and other materials around the plaza. Participants will mount the displays between 7 a.m. and 1 p.m., to be ready for judging at 2:30 p.m. and viewing until 9 p.m.
Go to ixtlahuacandelosmembrillos.gob.mx for details.