Day of the Dead in New York City: Mexican Culture Comes Alive with El Dia de los Muertos Events

By now you probably have all your Halloween events and activities down. Trick or treating, maybe a Halloween costume parade, maybe even a haunted house, if you dare.

How about mixing something a little multicultural into your celebrations? El Dia de los Muertos, Day of the Dead, is the Mexican version of Halloween, and a time to celebrate the lives of friends and family members who have passed away with festivities, food and fun.

Here are 7 ways to celebrate Day of the Dead with kids in New York City.

Mano a Mano recreates the magical space of a village churchyard and a series of events including altar-building, workshops, dance, poetry and music. Bring photographs, candles and flowers to adorn the altar and remember your own loved ones, or just drop by to participate in a truly multicultural experience and enjoy activities throughout the 4-day celebration. This year's special activities include a celebration of the life and music of Michael Jackson and a weekend Altar-Building Marketplace where visitors can buy the components for their own home altars. Kids will particularly like the workshops making paper skeletons, Papel Picado, sugar skulls, Day of the Dead bread, plus mariachi bands, dance performances and a cool procession. Free. Check the whole schedule to see when everything is happening. St Mark's Church in the Bowery, 10th St and 2nd Ave, Friday October 30-Monday, November 2

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El Museo del Barrio celebrates Dia de los Muertos with a fun-filled day of free activities including art-making workshops, traditional food tasting, music and dance performances and storytelling. Highlights include an interactive puppet performance, Mexican hot chocolate and Pan de Muerto, calavera face painting and photo portraits, and making traditional calavera skeleton masks to wear in the procession through Central Park. Check the whole schedule. Free. El Museo del Barrio, 1230 Fifth Avenue (a 104th St), Saturday October 31, 11am to 10:30 pm.

National Museum of the American Indian in New York celebrates with dance performances, storytelling, an art installation, sugar skulls, and hands-on workshops featuring papel picado, paper flowers, and plaster skull figures. Free. Saturday, October 31, 2009 1pm - 5pm National Museum of the American Indian One Bowling Green New York, NY

Spanish Harlem Street Festival with live music, lots of vendors selling authentic Latin eats and thousands of participants will fill the streets of Spanish Harlem. Local businesses will place altars outside their establishments along the festival route, in commemoration of the deceased. Free. 116th St Between 2nd and 3rd Avenues
Sunday, November 1, 2009, begins at 12pm

The Metropolitan Museum of Art hosts a day full of family programs celebrating Day of the Dead. Enjoy free from gallery talks, hands-on workshops, a performance of traditional Mexican dance and an animated Latin American film screening, Programs are free with admission and offered in both English and Spanish. See the full schedule here. Metropolitan Museum of Art, 5th Avenue at 83rd St. Saturday, October 31.

As part of their free First Sundays for Families program, The Queens Museum of Art will be having a Day of the Dead celebration with exhibit tours, an altar-making workshop, and a theatrical performance followed by hot chocolaet and pan de muerto. Free. Queens Museum of Art, Flushing Meadow Corona Park, Sunday November 1, 2pm.

As part of the Brooklyn Children's Museum Monster Mash Festivities, kids can learn about the Mexican tradition of Day of the Dead by seeing some of the objects in the Museum's Collection and making skeleton puppets. 11:30 Saturday, October 31 Free with admission Brooklyn Children's Museum, 145 Brooklyn Avenue.