DIA DE LOS MUERTOS FESTIVAL 10/18/2008

PRESS RELEASE

The BHA and the City of Brownsville present
The Second Annual Brownsville Heritage Celebration
and Dia de los Muertos Festival
Date: Saturday, October 18, 2008
Time: 5:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Location: Old City Cemetery Center
Cost: Free to Public

Brownsville Historical Association's Old City Cemetery Center, working in
conjunction with the City of Brownsville, Stripes, Inc., City of Brownsville
Parks and Recreation Department, Texas Commission on the Arts,
Brownsville Society for the Performing Arts and Brownsville Independent
School District Fine Arts Department, invites the public to celebrate the
Second Annual Brownsville Heritage Celebration and Day of the Dead
Festival at the Old City Cemetery Center on Saturday, October 18, 2008.

Festivities are scheduled from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. and all activities are free
to the public. In addition, BHA will be presenting the 1st Annual Sam
and Chula Griffin Award for Cemetery Preservation to Andrew Widener
and to Hudson Elementary.
Free scheduled activities outside of the cemetery center will include
sugarskull making, papel picado, shoebox altars, paper marigolds, face
painting, paper mache skulls and print making by local artists and
community groups. Several groups will also have food booths and arts
and crafts for sale.
The festivities will begin at 5:00 p.m. with guided cemetery tours by the
participants of the Keepers of the Crypt program from Hudson
Elementary. At 5:45 p.m. the Reinas de Saba belly dancing group will
perform. The program will continue with the presentation of the 1st
Annual Sam and Chula Griffin Award at 6:00 p.m.
At 6:30 p.m. the festivities continue with the opening reception for the
BISD Dia de los Muertos Faculty exhibition. The exhibit features
the artwork of BISD faculty and guest student exhibitors. The exhibition
in sponsored in part by the BISD Fine Arts Department.

At 7:00 p.m. calavera poetry will be recited by BHA Emeritus Board
Member Yolanda Gonzalez-Gomez and UTB Professor Dr. Melba
Lucio.
At 7:30 the Porter High School Folklorico Dance group will perform
several dances, including an Aztec dance. Guests will enjoy a musical
performance at 8 p.m. by Joe and Rosa Perez of Rumbo al' Anacua,
whose songs about Mexican culture and Dia de los Muertos will
compliment the theme of the exhibition. Their performance is sponsored
in part by Texas Commission on the Arts.
The evening will conclude with Day of the Dead presentations by
UTB-TSC History professor Dr. Manuel Medrano and UTPA Special
Collections Librarian George Gause.

The Old City Cemetery Center is located at 600 E. Jackson Street on
the corner of 6th street and Monroe.
The mission of the Old City Cemetery Center is to advance life-long
learning opportunities about the history, architecture, art, genealogy,
and folk art customs of the Brownsville Historic City Cemetery and
the surrounding Buena Vida neighborhood through exhibitions, cultural
events, and educational programs.

For more information please call 956-541-5560.