Dia de los Muertos Across Chicago Today: Navy Pier's Free Celebration, Little Village's Xempasuchil, and Ofrendas From Pilsen to the Lakefront
Sunday is the heart of the Day of the Dead in Chicago: a free afternoon celebration and a community ofrenda at Navy Pier, ofrendas in the storefronts of Little Village, and remembrance across Pilsen.
Chicago marks Dia de los Muertos — the Day of the Dead — across the city on Sunday, and the celebrations run from the lakefront to the Southwest Side. At the heart of the holiday are ofrendas, altars filled with marigolds, candles, photos and favorite foods, built to welcome the spirits of loved ones back for a brief visit, as Choose Chicago's guide to the day puts it.
At Navy Pier, the celebration runs from 1 to 3 p.m. on Sunday and is free, with art, cultural experiences and activities, according to the Pier's own event page. In the Family Pavilion, a community ofrenda has been gathering since October 24: anyone can honor a loved one by contributing a photo or a meaningful memento. The day at the Pier concludes with showings of Coco and The Conjuring in the Crystal Gardens.
The holiday's heart in Chicago is in Pilsen and Little Village, where exhibitions and community gatherings mark the weekend, Choose Chicago notes. In Little Village — the neighborhood known as the Mexico of the Midwest — the two-day Xempasuchil celebration wraps up Sunday with traditional ofrendas at local businesses and free traditional food. And in Pilsen, the National Museum of Mexican Art's remembrance exhibit continues through November 29.
