New Rochelle to host Day of the Dead fete

A Day of the Dead exhibit created by local artists of Mexican descent with help New Rochelle High School students and teachers will be unveiled Nov. 1 at festivities marking the holiday honoring the deceased.

The free public event is one of final programs of New Rochelle's communitywide reading of "Sun, Stone, and Shadows: 20 Great Mexican Short Stories." The project, organized by the New Rochelle Public Library, began in September and involved thousands of adults and young adults who read and discussed the collection.

The exhibit can be viewed starting at 5:30 p.m. at the Museum of Arts and Culture in the high school's new wing. Children ages pre-K through grade five can make traditional crafts and refreshments will be served.

Atl-Tlachinolli, whose members dress in traditional regalia and feathered headdresses, will perform an Aztec ceremony and dances at 6:30. The evening will conclude with a performance by Ballet Folklorico Mexicano de Nueva York, also in full costume, at the Linda Kelly Theater at the school.

The Day of the Dead exhibit, similar to others by mounted in the past by the artist members of Calaveras y Diablitos, will remain on display through Nov. 14 for viewing from 7 to 9 p.m. on Thursdays.