Día de los Muertos – also known as the Day of the Dead – is a colorful celebration of life, and the Missouri History Museum (5700, boulevard Lindell; 314 746-4599) hopes to mark the holidays with a celebration of its own.

Over the weekend of November 6 and 7, the museum will go all out: altars, art exhibits, crafts, arm painting, souvenir engraving and more will take place to commemorate Latin American culture. Dance shows and live music will also be on the menu. On November 6, the evening ends with what a press release considers the “highlight” of the event: a colorful quarter-mile procession through Forest Park.

Día de los Muertos is a holiday that originated in Mexico and honors the lives of those who have passed away, especially family members and other loved ones. It’s two days – typically November 1 and 2, but can be observed on October 31 or November 6 – where families come together to pay homage and celebrate, rather than mourn, the lives of those they have lost. Families typically build altars, called ofrendas, during holidays for deceased family members.

A preview of the event is open to the public on November 5, where you can see the original art exhibits and altars.

The event runs from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on November 6 and from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on November 7. Some activities start later, like arm painting at 12 p.m. The event is free, but some aspects of the festivities, like arm painting or food and drink, can get expensive. See the full schedule on mohistory.org/dia-de-los-muertos.

Follow Jenna on Twitter at @writesjenna. Email the author at [email protected]

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