For the City Times

The traditional Mexican holiday, Día des los Muertos (Day of the Dead), will be celebrated at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point with an exhibit and celebration at the Carlsten Art Gallery.

The exhibit will be on display through Sunday, Nov. 5, at the gallery on the second floor of the Noel Fine Arts Center. It will include traditional and contemporary Día des los Muertos ofrendas (altars) with sugar skulls and displays created by members of the Latino Student Alliance, Spanish Club and Carlsten Gallery Student Advisory Committee at UW-Stevens Point.

A celebration will be held from 4-9 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 4, at the gallery and Noel Fine Arts Center balcony. The evening includes live Mariachi music, Mexican food and refreshments, face painting, crafts and more.

The exhibit and Saturday’s event are open to the public, free of charge.

Día des los Muertos is celebrated throughout Mexico and in parts of the United States. It is connected to ancient Meso-American beliefs surrounding death and rebirth. The Aztec ritual was moved to coincide with All Saints Day and All Souls Day. It includes visiting a cemetery where loved ones are buried to clean and decorate graves and celebrate the deceased with food and music.

Guests are invited to add objects to a community ofrenda. Items may include candles, candy, corn, flowers, fruit, bread, incense, instruments, nuts, squash, pumpkins, photos of lost loved ones, personal mementos, skeletons, sugar skulls, soda, religious decorations and toys.

The gallery is open Monday through Friday from 10 PM to 4 PM, on Thursdays from 7 PM to 9 PM and on weekends from 1 PM to 4 PM. For more information, call 715-346-4797.