Day of the Dead Celebration

Jersey City, NJ — On Sunday, October 30, 2022, at noon the Riverview Farmers Market in Jersey City Heights kicks off their 8th annual Days of the Dead celebration in partnership with local Mexican-American artist Santiago Cohen and this year will be expanding the event to include activities throughout the week, culminating on Friday, November 4. Cohen serves as the visionary behind the Giant Puppet Parade, where he crafts the puppets by hand in his local studio and also provides DIY kits to the community to build their own puppets and participate in the parade. The event also includes a communal memorial altar or “Ofrenda,” a cornerstone tradition of the holiday, where attendees can place photos of loved ones that have passed and food offerings.  “This event is a way we can help Jersey City respect and appreciate the Mexican community we have all around us,” said Cohen. Along with the parade and ofrenda, the free event will include live music from Mariachi Oro de Mexico, traditional Mexican dance group Sueño Americano, and entertainment for the whole family. The Riverview Neighborhood Association will host their annual Dog Costume Contest beginning around 1 p.m., as well. As a new addition to this year’s festivities, the Riverview Farmers Market is partnering with several local businesses and organizations to bring the Mexican tradition to life throughout the week through window and ofrenda displays, as well as Days-of-the-Dead-themed activities, and promotions. The Mexican Consulate of New York City is also involved, pledging their support for the first time in 2022. “This is a holiday that belongs to everyone,” Cohen explained. “Everyone has a loving person in their lives that they have lost and this celebration is a way to honor and remember them and bring them to your life again. To me, that is the most important part.” To cap off the week’s festivities, the Sokolow Theatre/Dance Ensemble will bring a free presentation of “Frida” to Grace Church on Friday, November 4 at 7:30 p.m. A homage to Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, Anna Sokolow paints an intimate portrait of these famed 20th century artists through dance, slides of Kahlo’s paintings, and a score by Mexican composers. “The artistic collaboration between Sokolow and Kahlo is one that reflects the same spirit of cooperation and cultural exchange that inspired the Riverview Farmers Market Days of the Dead Celebration,” said market board member Beverly Brown Ruggia. “We pay homage to the Mexican tradition and bring it alive for the local community by incorporating the residents’ art work, music, and participation. Sokolow, Kahlo, and Rivera were great 20th century intellectuals and artists who celebrated their own cultures, but also crossed borders physically and artistically through appreciation and collaboration. In a small way, the artists and residents of the Heights do the same each year at this popular event.” Originating with the Aztec people of Mexico, Días de Los Muertos or Days of the Dead is traditionally held November 1 and 2 each year to honor the memory of lost loved ones through celebration.