Multicultural Education and Counseling Through the Arts (MECA), a Houston, Latino-based arts and community nonprofit organization committed to providing arts education, sup- port services, and multicultural artistic performances and events, presents the 22nd Annual Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) Festival taking place at the Historic Dow School in the heart of Houston’s Old Sixth Ward located at 1900 Kane St. Houston, TX 77007 on Saturday, October 29, 2022 and Sunday, October 30, 2022 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

In its 22nd year, MECA’s Día de Muertos Festival is a FREE community celebration of Latin American folk-art traditions that commemorate family and ancestry. Día de Muertos is a culmination of pre-Colombian heritage and Catholic influence honoring the souls of the dead in a lively, cheerful celebration. Over the years, MECA’s Día de Muertos celebration has flourished into a two-day festival boasting a variety of traditional foods, folk and fine arts, and three performance stages. This year’s festival will include children’s art activities, cultural cuisine, an ofrendas/altar exhibit, artist and artisan vendors, festival delights and special performances by MECA Ballet Folklórico, a Ritual Ceremony of the Fliers by Eduardo de León Juárez and the Ermelinda Cuellar Jazz Trio, among many others. The 22nd Annual MECA Día de Muertos Festival is presented by Houston Area Chevy Dealers and co-hosted by AARP. Additional support is provided by The City of Houston through Houston Arts Alliance, Cricket Wireless, Texas Commission on the Arts and National Endowment for the Arts.

Each year, MECA also presents an Ofrendas (Altar) Exhibition, inviting community members to build an altar featuring photographs and personal be- longings of their loved ones who have passed away. Curated by Luis Gavito, this year’s Día de Muertos Ofrendas Exhibition will feature a special community altar dedicated to the nineteen children and two teachers whose lives were taken at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.

For more information about MECA, visit meca-houston.org