Grab your little leprechauns and experience the luck of the Irish at Ridge Hill Shopping Center's St. Patrick’s Day celebration. Photo courtesy of Ridge Hill
St. Patrick's Day Parades and More Best Things To Do in Westchester and the Hudson Valley March 2025
The Ausable Chasm has been described as the Grand Canyon of the Adirondacks and it's one of our top 100 things to do in New York State with kids. Photo by Anna Fader
Ultimate New York Bucket List: 100 Things To Do with Kids in NY State
Palisade Center's Climbzone features themed rock walls as high as 40 feet. Photo courtesy of Climbzone.
20 Best Things To Do at the Palisades Center Mall with Kids
Summer camps are a great way to make new friends and develop new skills
GUIDE
Summer Camps Guide for Westchester & Hudson Valley Kids
The Play Place in Elmsford is one of Westchester's top indoor play spaces.
Top Indoor Playgrounds and Play Spaces in Westchester
Poughkeepsie's Gravity Vault is an indoor rock-climbing gym with classes for kids as young as 5. Photo by Kaylynn Ebner
Best Kids' Indoor Playgrounds and Play Spaces in the Hudson Valley
Mount Kisco's Grand Prix New York, a go-kart hot spot, offers birthday parties with racing, arcade play, and virtual reality.
17 Best Indoor Party Places for Kids in Westchester
GUIDE
Guide to Indoor Fun for Westchester & Hudson Valley Kids
Kids explore the great outdoors Hudson Highlands Nature Center. Photo courtesy of the center
School Break Camps in Westchester and the Hudson Valley: Winter and Spring Break Camps
Catch some air on one of the many sledding hills in the Hudson Valley. Photo by Jeremy McKnight on Unsplash.
Best Sledding Hills in the Hudson Valley
Hit the ice at Blue Mountain Reservation in Peekskill. Photo courtesy of Westchester County Department of Parks
Best Outdoor Ice Skating Rinks and Ponds in Westchester
Galactic snow tubing at Camelback offers an LED light show come nightfall.
Best Snow Tubing near NYC for Families
Roam the the cedar walk and gardens at Caramoor for a free, fun outing. Photo by Gabe Palacio
41 Free Things To Do in Westchester with Kids
At Moe's Southwestern Grill, kids eat free on Tuesdays with the purchase of an adult entree. Photo courtesy of the restaurant
Restaurants Where Kids Eat Free in Westchester and the Hudson Valley
Westchester has sledding hills for everyone from tots to teens. Photo by Marisa Iallonardo
Best Sledding Hills in Westchester for Kids
Kids can peek into the marine life in the aquariums at the Marine Education Center in Mamaroneck. Photo by Susan Miele
19 Free Things To Do Indoors in Westchester and the Hudson Valley: Indoor Places to Play
Castle Fun Center in Chester has a giant inflatable park, a rock wall, laser tag, and more. Photo by Katherine Dhurandhar
15 Family Fun Centers in Westchester and the Hudson Valley
Kids can climb the walls at the Cliffs in Valhalla. Photo courtesy of the Cliffs
32 Things To Do on a Rainy Day Indoors in Westchester and the Hudson Valley
Westchester kids will love a visit during FREE hours at the Mid-Hudson Children’s Museum. Photo by KD
GUIDE
Guide to Free Fun Things to Do with Westchester Kids
Grab a colorful treat at Harley's Sweet Shop in Woodstock. Photo courtesy of the shop
25 Best Things To Do in Woodstock, NY, with Kids
GUIDE
Westchester & Hudson Valley Winter Vacation Guide
Touch the soft rabbits at the Greenburgh Nature Center's petting zoo in Scarsdale. Photo courtesy of the center
Best Animal Petting Zoos near Westchester and the Hudson Valley Where Kids Can Meet Animals
Peekskill, NY, is a lovely riverfront community that acts an the unofficial gateway to the Hudson Valley.
25 Best Things To Do in Peekskill, NY, with Kids
Explore what makes things fly with the Westchester Children's Museum's Wind Tunnel Design Challenge. Photo courtesy of the museum
Visiting the Westchester Children's Museum in Rye: New and Ongoing Exhibits
Romp through the woods in the beautiful Catskills. Photo by Deborah Dadlani
40 Best Things To Do in the Catskills with Kids
GUIDE
Classes Guide for Westchester & Hudson Valley Kids
The Play Place in Elmsford is one of Westchester's top indoor play spaces.
Top Indoor Playgrounds and Play Spaces in Westchester
Tig & Peach offers drop-in, no reservations required, open play 7 days a week.
7 Indoor Playgrounds in Westchester and the Hudson Valley for a Wild Romp
Friends young and old enjoy the attractions and Legoland New York, the first major theme park in the Northeast in 40 years.
  VIDEO
Legoland New York: A Guide to Visiting the Hudson Valley Theme Park with Kids
Frost Valley YMCA offers a variety of day and overnight camps for kids ages 5-14. Photo courtesy Frost Valley YMCA
Affordable Summer Camps in Westchester and the Hudson Valley
Tour the Great Jack O'Lantern Blaze, an annual rite of fall. Courtesy Historic Hudson Valley
100 Things To Do in Westchester and the Hudson Valley Before Kids Grow Up
These boredom-busting activities turn a stuck-at-home day into a lasting memory.
75 Indoor Activities for Kids on a Rainy Day
Kids love a birthday party filled with games and pizza at Chuck E. Cheese. Photo courtesy of Chuck E. Cheese
Best Fun Restaurants for Kids' Birthdays in Westchester
Head to the Mid-Hudson Discovery Museum from 5-8 pm on the third Saturday of the month to explore the museum for free, Photo by the author
Free Museums and Museum Days in Westchester and the Hudson Valley
Kids can run, swing, slide, and even make music at Sally’s Dream Playground in Montgomery. Photo by Katherine Dhurandhar
Top Playgrounds in Westchester and the Hudson Valley Worth Driving To
Creating a baking soda volcano is a classic science experiment for kids. Photo by Sara Marentette Nighswander
67 Easy Science Experiments for Kids To Do at Home
Kids can while away hours of a day with a set of watercolors and a stack of new paper for painting. Photo by Sara Marentette
Crafts for Kids: 100 Awesome Art Projects
These kids' movies are classic hits!
75 Best Movies for Kids: Top Family Movie Night Ideas
GUIDE
Guide to Playgrounds & Parks in Westchester & the Hudson Valley
Suncatcher_Liz Baill @creativishmom
GUIDE
Crafts for Kids: Thousands of Craft Ideas
Celebrate the bounty of the northeast at the Greenburgh Nature Center's maple sugaring celebration. Photo courtesy of the center
Best Things To Do with Kids this Weekend in Westchester and the Hudson Valley

Dia de los Muertos: Free Day of the Dead Events for Westchester Families

10/24/16 - By Sonia Gonzalez

Halloween is fast approaching, and while you're counting down to the big day and enjoying all the fun haunted happenings around town, why not consider adding a multicultural flair into the mix? Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is technically not a Halloween event; however, it falls right around the same time of year and shares many similar customs and themes.

This Mexican tradition may sound somber and spooky, but it’s actually a joyous time of year, meant to honor family and friends who have passed on. Revelers prepare special foods, don colorful outfits, and create alters adorned with flowers, smiling skulls (calaveras) and candles to celebrate lost loved ones. Festivities include dancing, joyful skeletons (calacas), masks, plenty of candy, skulls made out of sugar, and marigolds, the traditional flor de los muertos (flower of the dead). Day of the Dead is observed on November 1 and 2, but events are already taking place. Read on for ways to celebrate Dia de los Muertos in Westchester. The best part—all events are FREE.

Looking for more things to do? Consult our Event Calendar and sign up for our newsletters. 

OUR LATEST VIDEOS

Day of the Dead Workshop - White Plains
White Plains Library, 100 Martine Avenue
Tuesday, October 25, 2016; 4:30-5:30pm
FREE
Celebrate Dia de los Muertos by creating a traditional alter to honor the departed.

Mexican Day of the Dead: Folk Art Series - Pelham
Pelham Art Center, 155 Fifth Avenue
Saturday, October 29, 2016; 2:30-4:30pm
FREE
Learn about the history of Dia de los Muertos and do a related craft project, led by artist Zafiro Romero-Acevedo. 

Day of the Dead Performance & Reception - New Rochelle
Ossie Davis Theater, New Rochelle Public Library, 1 Liberty Plaza
Sunday, October 30 to Tuesday, November 1, 2016; times vary
FREE
In addition to viewing the Day of the Dead Exhibit in the library's Lumen Winter Lobby, which features traditional symbols of this ancient celebration, celebrants can create additional offrendas at a festive event in Ruby Dee Park at Library Green. There will be live music and food and craft vendors, as well as the costumed dance troupe Atl-Tlachinolli. On November 1, the Calpulli Dance Company and students will perform traditional Mexican dances in honor of Dia de los Muertos at the library. Kids will love the beautiful and colorful costumes! Performances are first come, first served, so plan to arrive early. The library exhibit will on display until November 6. 

Day of the Dead Storytime - White Plains
White Plains Library, 100 Martine Avenue
Wednesday, November 2, 2016, 7-7:45p.m.
FREE
Enjoy a Day of the Dead storytime with a craft, snack and a performance from the White Plains High School's mariachi band.

For more seasonal events, check out our Halloween Guide or visit our Event Calendar!

This was originally published October 2013 and has been updated for 2016. 

Image credit: Pixabay

Places featured in this article: