Mercado on Fifth is hosting a series of workshops – starting this Monday, Oct. 9 – to get ready for the 2nd-annual Group O Dia de los Muertos Parade on Saturday, Oct. 28 in downtown Moline.
First, Mercado on Fifth (423 12th St., Moline) will host a Día de los Muertos Makeup & Margs at 5:30 p.m. Oct. 9. In this 90-minute workshop, former Mercado on Fifth director Anamaria Rocha will lead a tutorial to demonstrate how to apply catrina makeup for Dia de los Muertos.
Please bring your own tabletop mirror and makeup kit. The $15 admission includes one margarita or non-alcoholic beverage. To purchase tickets, visit the Eventbrite page HERE.
A Día de los Muertos Mojiganga (Giant Puppet) Workshop will be held Oct. 14-15 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. both days. In this two-day, open and free workshop, Brant Bollman, a master puppeteer from Oskaloosa, Iowa, will lead participants in creating a paper mache mojiganga (giant puppet) for the parade. Walk-ins at any time are welcome to come in and get their hands dirty.
On Oct. 19, 6-7 p.m., the Día de los Muertos Cookies & Cocktails will have Mercado vendor Sweets & Keto by Ana leading a class on how to make skull cookies.
Admission is $30 and includes everything you need to complete nine cookies, as well as one cocktail or non-alcoholic beverage. To purchase tickets for that, click HERE.
Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is a traditional Mexican holiday that varies in length of celebration but is customarily observed on Nov. 1 and 2. Día de los Muertos is a time to honor loved ones who have passed by visiting and elaborately decorating gravesites; creating altars with flowers, commemorations, and offerings; and expressing oneself as a Catrina (skeleton figure).
Through Mercado on Fifth’s second-annual Día de los Muertos Parade, they encourage organizations and families to honor and celebrate the lives of their loved ones and to show appreciation for the traditions that surround the holiday.
