The Waukegan Park District and Sugar Skulls Xilotl are partnering to host the 2025 Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) Community Celebration on Saturday, November 1, 2025 from 1pm to 4pm at the Jack Benny Center for the Arts, located at 39 Jack Benny Drive in Bowen Park. The event will feature pan de muerto (bread of the dead), altar exhibits, art vendors, music and dance performances, and sugar skull decorating workshops.

With origins in Mexico and celebrated throughout Latin America, Día de Muertos is a celebration of the lives of the deceased. Families create an altar and ofrendas (offerings) to honor their family members that have passed away. These altars are decorated with bright marigolds, calaveras de azúcar (sugar skulls), photos, foods, drinks, and items cherished by the departed loved ones. Día de Muertos is not a “Mexican Halloween” like it is sometimes mistaken for due to its close proximity to Halloween.

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