The Waukegan Park District and Sugar Skulls Xilotl are partnering to celebrate Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) with sugar skull workshops and a community celebration. With origins in Mexico and celebrated throughout Latin America, Día de Muertos is a celebration of the lives of the deceased. Families create ofrendas (offerings) to honor their family members that have passed away. These altars are decorated with bright flowers, calaveras (skulls), photos, foods, drinks, and items to honor the departed loved ones. Día de Muertos is not the “Mexican Halloween” like it is sometimes mistaken to be because of the timing of the year. 

Two sugar skull workshops will be facilitated by Maria Calderon of Sugar Skulls Xilotl on Saturday, October 7, 2023 and Saturday, October 17, 2023 from 10am to 12pm at the Jack Benny Center for the Arts, located at 39 Jack Benny Drive. Preregistration is required to participate in the sugar skull workshops. 

The commemoration of Día de Muertos will culminate with a free community celebration on Saturday, October 21, 2023 from 1pm to 4pm at the Jack Benny Center for the Arts. The event will feature altar exhibits, art vendors, food, music, dance presentations, and sugar skull workshops.