While many celebrations surrounding Halloween and Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) have been halted this year, there are still some ghoul {err, cool} gatherings you can take part in. Día de los Muertos will take place on November 1st and 2nd and if you don’t already know, it’s a Mexican holiday meant for prayer and remembrance of deceased loved ones. Rather than mourning friends and family who have passed, the tradition is meant to be a celebration with lively music, sugar skulls and face paint, marigold flowers, and of course, plenty of traditional food and drinks. Read on for how you can support local businesses and organizations recognizing Day of the Dead:
Riverview Fisk Park {498 Palisade Ave, Jersey City}
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On November 1st starting at 12PM, the Riverview Farmers Market will celebrate Day of the Dead with their annual procession. The organizers have made adjustments to ensure everyone’s safety this year, including providing at-home kits {to make puppets, head masks, banners} for those who wish to join in on the fun. You can also find a how-to video on creating your own Día de los Muertos head mask.
There will be a modified procession from Bowers Street to Griffith Street via Palisades Avenue and then towards Ogden Avenue. There will be a temporary altar “ofrenda” at the end of the procession to remember, celebrate, and honor loved ones that have been lost this year. More info can be found on Riverview Park’s Facebook Page.
Los Charritos {Hoboken and Weehawken Locations}
Los Charritos Hoboken {518 Washington Street} and Weehawken {974 JFK Boulevard East} will be hosting Charrito’s Halloween Best Día de los Muertos Costume Contest on Halloween. To be considered, you must be a dining patron the day of the contest (October 31st), you must “adhere to the theme”, there must be “originality” and you must follow the restaurant’s Instagram account.
The winner at each location – Hoboken, and Weehawken – will receive $250 and a picture of each winner will be shared on Instagram. So, grab your best Day of the Dead attire and grab some delicious authentic Mexican cuisine!
Joey No Nuts Cafe {638 Willow Ave, Hoboken}
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For a limited time {until they’re sold out!}, you can pick up Día De Los Muertos cookies at Joey No Nuts Cafe in Hoboken. The Day of the Dead-themed cookies were exclusively made by For Cup Sakes.
For Cup Sakes was founded by Caroline aka The Cookie Girl. Each cookie, cake or cupcake is individually designed and custom-made and, if possible, hand-delivered in New York. Nationwide shipping is also available.
The Historic Jersey City and Harsimus Cemetery {435 Newark Ave, Jersey City}
The Ghost of Uncle Joe’s: A Halloween MASK-uerade Fundraising Ball, benefitting and being hosted at the Historic Jersey City and Harsimus Cemetery, will take place Saturday, October 31st and Sunday, November 1st. The Fundraising Ball is a music series of six separate socially distanced shows, each following COVID-19 regulations. It’s also BYOB and advises event-goers to bring a chair and/or a blanket for the cemetery.
Tickets for Saturday’s Daytime Family Showcase can be found here. Tickets for Saturday’s Evening Showcase can be found here. Tickets for Sunday’s Day of the Dead Showcase can be found here.
Newark Museum of Art {Virtual Program}
Celebrate the Day of the Dead with Newark Museum of Art with the museum’s virtual program on November 1st from 10AM to 7PM via Zoom and Facebook Live. The programs are in English but there will be some Spanish vocabulary sprinkled throughout.
You can start your morning at 10AM with your children or as a family during the Storytime Live with Newark Public Library. You can also learn how to do your own Day of the Dead face paint with the 1PM makeup tutorial session. Finally, you can screen three short films by Latinx filmmakers as part of the Newark Latino Film Festival at 6PM.
For more programming, visit Newark Museum of Art’s website.
Little City Books {100 Bloomfield Street, Hoboken}
For your little ones, Little City Books is currently carrying a children’s book that talks all about the Mexican holiday. The book is titled “Día de los Muertos – Celebrate the World” and is written by Hannah Eliot and illustrated by Jorge Gutierrez.
