Atlantic City Garage to Commemorate Día de Los Muertos

A Día de los Muertos commemoration will take place at the Noyes Arts Garage of Stockton University in Atlantic City on Saturday, Nov. 1, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. The festivities will honor Mexican cultural traditions, such as creating an ofrenda and dressing as Catrín and Catrinas.

Organized in partnership with local groups such as El Pueblo Unido and Organizacion Azteca, the Día de los Muertos commemoration is part of the statewide North to Shore arts festival, sponsored by Prudential and NJPAC.

Activities will include traditional music, dance performances, an artisan market, art workshops, Mexican cuisine, and face painting for children. Participants can enter competitions for creating ofrendas and dressing as Catrín and Catrinas. 

In the Catrín and Catrina contests, competitors will dress in costume as the symbol of Day of the Dead, which typically features a painted skeleton face, flowers, hats with feathers, and formal clothing. Competitors will be evaluated on creativity, originality, authenticity, makeup, outfit craftsmanship, and presentation. The general public at the Nov. 1 event will vote for their favorites, with $500 prizes awarded to the winners.

Ofrenda competitors will display their decorated altars honoring loved ones from Wednesday, Oct. 29, to Saturday, Nov. 1, with community voting to select the favorite.

“It's been a pleasure to partner with El Pueblo Unido of Atlantic City to plan this celebration for the second year at the Arts Garage,” said Sarah Lacy, liaison for event planning and promotion at the Noyes Museum of Art of Stockton University, to Downbeach.com. “I'm personally excited to see the expansion of the community-driven competitions to include catrinas this year, as well as the pop-up art exhibition showing recent artwork by Oaxacan artist Noé Jacinto.” 

The Noyes Arts Garage is located at 2200 Fairmount Ave. For more information, call 609-626-3805.