The Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center is welcoming the public to a free two-day Día de Muertos celebration this weekend. Activities include a community ofrenda, live music, and sugar skull-making classes, among other offerings. The dates — November 1 and 2 — correspond with the days the holiday is traditionally observed in Mexico.
The Bemis School of Art, which operates within the Fine Arts Center, has assembled volunteers to prepare roughly a thousand decorated skulls made from sugar, along with about 150 pounds of frosting, all of which will be distributed across the two celebration days. Sugar skull making is widely regarded as one of the most recognized Day of the Dead traditions, and Bemis assistant director Jeremiah Houck demonstrated the craft on a local morning newscast ahead of the event.
Local artist Cal Duran is building the large-scale community ofrenda, and visitors will be invited to contribute their own personal offerings to the work. The ofrenda tradition is central to Día de Muertos observances, providing a shared space for communities to honor and remember those who have died.
The Bemis School of Art is also running two ticketed weekend classes connected to the holiday: a Saturday session focused on crafting marigold garlands, priced at $30, and a Sunday class available for $7. While entry to the main celebration carries no charge, the Fine Arts Center is requesting that guests submit an RSVP in advance so organizers can gauge expected attendance.
It was not immediately clear how long daily programming runs or whether capacity limits apply beyond the RSVP request, details the Fine Arts Center may clarify ahead of the weekend.