DÍA DE LOS MUERTOS RETURNS TO DENVER BOTANIC GARDENS

October 09, 2012

Event celebrates and explores Latino cultural heritage through this holiday
honoring the dead, and the cycle of life and death

DENVER—Denver Botanic Gardens celebrates Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) on Saturday, Oct. 27 from 5 – 8 p.m. Día de los Muertos is a festival of “welcome" for the souls of the dead.

This celebration will feature live entertainment, artists and dancers, Mexican loteria (bingo), and areas where attendees can create crafts. Complimentary face-painting stations and a complimentary photo booth will also be on hand.

Ticket Prices: $12 Non-Member Adult
                          $10 Member Adult/Student/Senior
                          $8 Non-Member Child
                          $6 Member Child

The customs surrounding Día de los Muertos are based on ancient traditions traced to the Aztec civilization in Mexico. The belief is that the souls of the deceased return each year from October 31 through November 2 to enjoy, for a few brief hours, the pleasures they once knew in life. As part of the celebration, families make altars and place ofrendas (offerings) of food such as pan de muertos baked in shapes of skulls and figures, candles, incense, yellow marigolds known as cempazuchitl, and, most importantly, a photo of the departed soul is placed on the altar.

For more information, please call 720-865-3585 or visit us at www.botanicgardens.org [1].

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About Denver Botanic Gardens:

Green inside and out, the Gardens is considered one of the top botanical gardens in the United States and a pioneer in water conservation. Accredited by the American Association of Museums, the Gardens’ living collections encompass specimens from the tropics to the tundra, showcasing a plant palette chosen to thrive in Colorado’s semi-arid climate. The Gardens' dynamic, 24-acre urban oasis in the heart of the city is now in its 53rd year, offering unforgettable opportunities to flourish with unique garden experiences for the whole family – as well as world-class education and plant conservation research programs. Additional sites at Denver Botanic Gardens at Chatfield, a 750-acre wildlife and native plant refuge in Jefferson County; and Mount Goliath, a high-altitude trail and interpretive site on the Mount Evans Scenic Byway, extend this experience throughout the Front Range. For more information, visit us online at www.botanicgardens.org [2] or call 720-865-3500.

Contact

Will Jones, 720-865-3552
jonesw@botanicgardens.org [3]