NASHVILLE, TN – The popular Latin American family celebration, El Dia de los Muertos, will be held at Cheekwood on Saturday, October 28 with activities including live performances, a Mexican marketplace, and interactive art activities for everyone.  Now in its seventh year at Cheekwood, the day-long celebration is a premiere community event for Nashville’s Hispanic population as well as for families throughout the area.  Translated as “Day of the Dead,” El Dia de los Muertos is a uniquely Latin celebration of families as they honor their ancestors.

The festivities, from 11:00 am to 5:30 pm, include activities for families of all cultures to learn about this noted Latin-American tradition and participate in a wide range of activities conducted in both Spanish and English.

The schedule includes live performances by Mariachis Alma de Mexico, Serenatta, Danny Salazar y los Cuatro, Grupo Folklorico Hispanoamericano, and Sixto Reyes & Miguel. Storytelling time features an event favorite performer, “Grandma Irene.”  Art projects include making painting gourds, decorating “the family tree,” making paper marigolds, crafting family journals, a “tombstone factory,” creating paper cut-outs, and Spanish Bingo.  A unique feature this year, Cheekwood will showcase a contemporary Spanish-speaking film, “A Piece of Earth,” by filmmaker Jorge Gaggero in collaboration with the Nashville Film Festival. 

Available in the Mexican Marketplace will be traditional food, sweets, and arts and crafts.  Community altars will be displayed in Botanic Hall and there will be bilingual tours of Cheekwood’s Museum of Art given by Belmont University Spanish students. 

Cheekwood inspires and educates by making art, horticulture and nature accessible to a diverse community.  Cheekwood is located at 1200 Forrest Park Drive in Nashville, 8 miles southwest of downtown Nashville.  For further information visit www.cheekwood.org