The Third Life and Death Traditions Festival in Xcaret Park

[Libby]

Xcaret Press Release:

From October 30th to November 2nd, Xcaret will be clothed in Mexican traditions, legends, music and altars dedicated to the dearly departed. At a cost of over 1 million dollars and with the participation of more than 1000 volunteers, 719 artists and 39 communities from Quintana Roo’s Mayan zone, we will celebrate the Day of the Dead at Xcaret, sharing traditions and displaying the great mosaic of cultures to bind our country together.

The purpose of the Life and Death Traditions Festival is to create and integrate a yearly encounter where cultural ties are reborn at all levels through active participation of the region’s communities, each with their respective Day of the Dead traditions, in an exhibit of ancient and contemporary cultural diversity.

For 4 days, from 4:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m., we will present visual arts, exhibits of offerings and culinary arts, children’s workshops, interactive tours, music, dance, theater productions and the traditional Mass.

Programmed activities will be held simultaneously at different venues: the Cemetery’s Plaza, the Open-Air Ball Game Court, the Open Theater, Bridge to Paradise Cemetery, the Main Plaza, the Mayan Village, the Hacienda Henequenera, La Isla Restaurant and St. Francis of Assisi Chapel.

We will also offer special tours designed to explain the importance of this tradition to our visitors. With the opportunity to experience one of our country’s most distinctive traditions up close, we’re sure you’ll take some memorable experiences back home with you.

This year’s festival will feature a roster of talent headed by one of Mexico’s great actresses, Ofelia Medina, with her production of “To each his Frida”, and the extraordinary voice of Betsy Pecanins, who will present a concert entitled Blues and shadows, a celebration of life and death. The list of artists will also include the Luna Llena Theater Group with its production of Miquiztli, death of the ephemeral¸ a play with giant puppets in the so-called “theatre noir” style, along with presentations by more than 30 groups of artists.

Amongst skeletons (Catrinas), votive candles, offerings, literary skulls, the famous mukibipollo and artistic presentations, we will have a live festival that will honor death in a very Mexican style…the Xcaret style!