Celebrate Día de los Muertos this October with family and friends at the International Museum of Art & Science (IMAS)! Engage in the lively festivities as we honor our loved ones with traditional performances, local food, hands-on arts and crafts and much more!
- Community Altars
- Market at the Museum
- Art Activities
- Loteria
- Sugar Skull Decorating ($5 per participant while supplies last)
- Performances
Market, Festival, Exhibits, & Community Altars included with General Admission. Free for IMAS Members.
Supported by:
Artisan Market
Participating Vendors
Día de los Muertos Altars
Altars Community Exhibit
Step into a world of color and reverence as the annual Altars exhibition invites the public to celebrate Día de los Muertos with vibrant, carefully crafted altars. This year’s theme is “Awe-Inspiring Advocates,“ honoring leaders who paved a way for a better future. Each altar tells the story of these community pillars, offering a tribute to their lasting influence and a chance for us all to reflect on their contributions.
Altars will be on view in the museum’s Welcome Pavilion from Wednesday, September 30 – Sunday, November 1.
Sugar Skull Activity
Get ready to celebrate Día de los Muertos with one of our most beloved traditions – Sugar Skull Decorating!
Secure your sugar skull in advance for just $5 each and join us between 10:00 AM and 4:45 PM to craft your own beautiful, traditional sugar skull to take home.
Perfect for all ages, though children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. Don’t wait – quantities are limited, so grab yours before they sell out!
Please note: All sales are final. No refunds, transfers, or credits.
Ephemeral Décor: Día de Muertos Objects
El Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a traditional Mexican celebration centered around the memory of those whose time has run out in the physical dimension, but remain, in essence, in the spiritual world. It is with the close observation of the formal components of this festivity, that one comes to realize: the fleeting quality of all its elements construct an allegory that ties the ephemeral aspect of the celebration with our own lives.
In this virtual exhibit, a selection of decorations used in el Día de Muertos celebrations are independently analyzed to understand, how the same objects’ materials are an echo and reminder of life’s ephemeral quality and our fleeting time.
Event Schedule
Welcome Pavilion
Community Altar Exhibit
Discovery Pavilion
Papel Picado & Performances
Performance Schedule
11:30 AM - 12:00 PM: DanzArt Centro Dancistico
12:15 PM - 12:45 PM: McHi Mariachi Team
1:30 PM - 2:00 PM: Mission Parks and Recreation Folklórico
2:30 PM - 3:00 PM: UTRGV Ballet Folklórico
3:30 PM - 4:00 PM: Solstice Dance Conservatory
McAllen Public Utility BioZone
10:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Calavera Mask Painting
Science On a Sphere® (SOS)
Lotería
Times: 10:30 a.m., 11:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m., 3:00 p.m. & 4:00 p.m.
Lotería is a traditional Mexican board game of chance, similar to bingo, and is played on a deck of cards instead of numbered ping pong balls. Each player has at least one tabla, a board with a randomly created 4 x 4 grid of pictures with their corresponding name. Players choose a tabla ("board") to play with, from a variety of previously created tablas, each with a different selection of images.
The traditional Lotería card deck is composed of a set of 54 different cards, each with a different picture. To start the game, the caller shuffles the deck. One by one, the caller picks a card from the deck and announces it to the players by its name, sometimes using a verse before reading the card name. Each player locates the matching pictogram of the card just announced on their board and marks it off with a chip or other kind of marker. In Mexico, it is a tradition to use pennies, crown corks or pinto beans as markers.
Ann Moore Art Studio
10:00 a.m. - 4:45 p.m.
Scratch Board Printmaking
Industrial Lab
10:00 a.m. - 4:45 p.m.
Sugar Skull Activity ($5) - Presales Available
Fine Art Galleries
Alebrije and Mexican Folk Art Draw & Color Station
Outdoor Courtyard
Artisans & Food Vendors
