Lake Worth Beach Día de los Muertos Celebration Returns

The downtown Lake Worth Beach's annual event will feature a 25-foot "Sand Skull" sculpture, craft workshops, and a scavenger hunt

Courtesy Lake Worth Arts

LULA Lake Worth Arts, the Lake Worth Beach Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) and the City of Lake Worth Beach will host the fifth annual Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, celebration beginning Thursday, October 15. The celebration will run through November 5 in downtown Lake Worth Beach and will feature a scavenger hunt on Friday, October 30, art workshops, and a large “Sand Skull” sculpture in lieu of the event’s usual street fair.

Sand sculptors Patrick Harsch and Dean Arscott of Team Sandtastic will begin work on the 25-foot creation on Thursday, October 15. The sculpture will remain on display in the Lake Worth Cultural Plaza in downtown Lake Worth Beach through November 5.

“We found a way to continue this much-loved event despite the logistical challenges of keeping people safe from the virus spread,” said Emily Theodossakos of the Lake Worth Beach CRA. “We’re still packing this event with fun and creative cultural experiences as we’ve adapted it to avoid crowds and close quarters. Yes, you can have a little fun this fall and stay safe in Downtown Lake Worth Beach.”

In addition to the dramatic sand sculpture, restaurants throughout downtown will build out their own authentic presentations in the Day of the Dead theme, with calaveras, altars, and more. The calaveras are key to the scavenger hunt that will start this year’s celebrations. The idea is for participants to take selfies in front of the calaveras for a chance to win up to $250 in prizes. A map will be provided the night of the event and it costs $15 to participate.

The event will also feature two virtual art workshops centered around Latin culture. The first on October 17 will offer a bilingual story and craft time that will teach kids the story of Día de los Muertos. Led by Johana Castillo from Mama Tortuga, this all-age event will offer craft kits for the first 30 people who sign up. The second workshop on October 23 will teach participants how to carve their very own calavera prints. Led by John Cutrone and Seth Thompson of Lake Worth’s own Convivo Bookworks, students will learn how to create basic linocut-style images with easy-to-carve, eraser-like substrate and a carving tool. Zoom links will be provided to workshops upon registration. Space is limited.

Día de los Muertos or Day of the Dead, is a festive three-day celebration in South American and Central America to honor deceased relatives, satirize the living, and entice the spirits to visit flower-laden altars with food “offerings.” Despite its name, it is considered a cheerful celebration rather than one of mourning. For information regarding the event, please call (561) 493-2550 or visit the website.

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