Days of the Dead Community Celebration at Oakland Museum of California October 23, 2010

For the Oakland Museum of California's 17th annual Dias de los Muertos exhibition and observance, a special community celebration is slated with an opening ritual, music, dance, food, entertainment, gallery tours, and an arts and crafts market Saturday, October 23, from 12 to 4:30 pm, included in regular OMCA admission. Installations and ofrendas (altars) by ten artists and local school and community groups focusing on current local and international issues highlight the exhibition VIVO: Days of the Dead on view October 6-December 5, 2010. This year's theme, Vivo, celebrates the living and our dynamic connections to those who have gone before: our ancestors, leaders, loved ones, friends, and others.

OMCA's annual Dias de los Muertos Celebration has been one of the Bay Area's most popular community events for 16 years, drawing thousands of participants annually to mark the traditional Meso-American celebrations and give them a contemporary artistic twist. On October 23 from 12 noon to 4:30 pm, the public will celebrate Dias de los Muertos beginning with a ritual in front of OMCA's Oak Street Entrance. Following the ceremonia, visitors will enter the Gardens invited by the sounds of music and conversation , the smells of food and burning copal incense. Throughout the day there will be food and drinks, demonstrations and sale of arts and crafts at a mercado, music and dance, and countless activities for visitors of all ages, as well as access to the exhibition and galleries.

Official Website: http://www.museumca.org