For Immediate Release
Contact: Amy Day
Tel: 515.271.0344 (o)
515.612.0775 (c)
aday@desmoinesartcenter.org
DES MOINES, IOWA (October 2025) – Community spirit will come alive this fall with two celebrations of Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) with the Des Moines Art Center and Des Moines Performing Arts.
A traditional fiesta celebrated in Mexico and other parts of Latin America, Día de los Muertos honors lives lost and unites community members in the rich traditions of the holiday.
Des Moines Art Center Celebrates 25th Annual Día de los Muertos Festivities on Sunday, November 2, 2025
The Art Center invites all for a free, family-friendly day with Día de los Muertos activities from 11 am – 3 pm on Sunday, November 2. Enjoy live music and dance performances, food and art vendors, hands-on activities, a Catrina costume showcase, a short documentary film tribute, and our annual community ofrenda (on view through November 16).
Free Mexican hot cocoa and pan de muerto (bread of the dead) will be available while supplies last. Visitors may take advantage of a free shuttle from Merrill Middle School, which will run continuously during the event.
This year’s celebration is inspired by the concurrent exhibitions “Manuel Álvarez Bravo: Collaborations” and “Aliza Nisenbaum: Día de los Muertos,” both featuring important Latino artists exploring portraiture and legacy.
In the fall of 2024, the Art Center invited artist Aliza Nisenbaum, the Toni and Tim Urban International Artist-in-Residence, to meet with key members of the Día de los Muertos committee, learn about the event’s history, and photograph the 2024 celebration. Inspired by her visit, Nisenbaum created five vibrant murals to commemorate the 25-year history of the Día de los Muertos celebration at the museum. Visit the Des Moines Art Center through January 11, 2026, to see these works of art on display.
Support for the Des Moines Art Center’s Day of the Dead event is provided by Art Bridges Access for All, Homesteaders Life Company, and Iles Funeral Homes.
For more information, or to request images of the Art Center’s celebration, contact Senior Director of Communications and Marketing Amy Day at 515.271.0344 or aday@desmoinesartcenter.org.
Des Moines Performing Arts Presents SUGAR SKULL! A Día de Muertos Musical Adventure at the Des Moines Civic Center on Saturday, November 8
Des Moines Performing Arts upcoming performance of SUGAR SKULL! will take place on Saturday, November 8 at 11 am.
SUGAR SKULL! is a touring bilingual/bicultural musical for young audiences and families that uses traditional regional music and dance from Mexico to tell the story of 12-year-old Vita Flores. “Sugar Skull” the spirited candy skeleton suddenly springs to life and takes Vita on a magical, musical journey to unravel the true meaning of Día de Muertos.
This presentation is part of the 2025-26 Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield Family Series. Season tickets for the entire series are available starting at $24. Single tickets for SUGAR SKULL! start at $12 each. Tickets can be purchased at DMPA.org.
For more information about SUGAR SKULL!, contact Shelby Hisel, Des Moines Performing Arts Publicist, at 515.246.2346 or shelbyh@dmpa.org.
About the Des Moines Art Center
The Des Moines Art Center is a vibrant, AAM-accredited (American Association of Museums) institution located in the capital city of Iowa that welcomes over 300,000 visitors annually from across the country and around the globe. Its historic campus consists of three buildings designed by major architects of the 20th century—Eliel Saarinen, I. M. Pei, and Richard Meier—incorporated into the natural landscape of Greenwood Park. The Art Center is home to one of the strongest collections of 20th- and 21st-century art in the region, and it hosts a series of ground-breaking exhibitions and lectures each year featuring artists known regionally, nationally, and internationally. The experimental art for which the Art Center cares is reflected in its creative offerings, including a celebrated education program that prioritizes access and collaboration, an art school with studio classes for all ages, and the John and Mary Pappajohn Sculpture Park, situated on 4.4 acres in downtown Des Moines. The Art Center is committed to the values of diversity, equity, and inclusion, which are incorporated into every facet of its mission and identity.
About Des Moines Performing Arts
Des Moines Performing Arts is a private not-for-profit organization celebrating over 40 seasons of presenting the performing arts to Iowa and the surrounding states on four stages in Des Moines – the Civic Center, the Stoner Theater, the Temple Theater and the outdoor space, Cowles Commons. Des Moines Performing Arts is a presenter of major Broadway and educational touring companies, performers and groups, and is home to many local and regional groups, including the Des Moines Symphony. All performances of the Broadway Series are supported by Willis Automotive Campus. All performances at the Temple Theater are supported by Prairie Meadows. All performances of the Family Series are supported by Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield. For more information, visit DMPA.org.
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