A free Día de Muertos celebration featuring traditional Aztec dance and storytelling comes to Hillsboro's Walters Cultural Arts Center on Thursday, Oct. 29.
The City of Hillsboro is bringing dance and drumming group Huehca Omeyocan and author Valentina Ortiz to the venue for a two-hour program running from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., according to the city's event calendar.
Ortiz will lead attendees through story and song exploring how the ancient Aztec people celebrated death with dance, food and festivals. Her presentation will cover the famous Catrina, born in Veracruz, and the purpose behind each element of an ofrenda, the traditional altar.
Huehca Omeyocan will perform a traditional dance and drumming showcase highlighting the holiday's significance and Indigenous origins.
No tickets are required. The event is walk-up only.
The Walters celebration is one of several Día de los Muertos observances across Hillsboro this season. The Hillsboro School District said some of its schools will set up ofrendas to mark the holiday, according to a district post published Oct. 23. The district did not name which schools will participate.
M&M Marketplace will also host a celebration on Saturday, Oct. 31, and Sunday, Nov. 1, from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. The district described that event as an afternoon filled with music, art, activities, contests and traditions connected to the holiday.
Día de los Muertos is a tradition with pre-Hispanic roots that commemorates ancestors and deceased family members. In the U.S., it is observed on Nov. 1 and 2. The holiday reunites the living and the dead, honoring those who have been lost, the district said.
Upcoming Día de los Muertos events in Hillsboro:
- Thursday, Oct. 29, 6–8 p.m. — Día de Muertos celebration with Huehca Omeyocan and Valentina Ortiz, Walters Cultural Arts Center. Free, walk-up only.
- Saturday, Oct. 31, and Sunday, Nov. 1, 3–7 p.m. — Día de los Muertos celebration at M&M Marketplace. Free.
