Join an evening celebration of Day of the Dead at the Museum of Ventura County on Friday, October 29, from 6:00-9:00 p.m. Que Viva La Noche! Long Live the Night! is for adults 21 and over, and features music, dancing, arts & crafts for adults, a silent auction, and “decadent delights” in food and drink. Revelers can see the new exhibition Art & Altars for Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos), and all museum galleries are open throughout the event.

Que Viva La Noche, a fundraiser for museum programs, is $50 for general public, $40 for museum members, and includes food stations and one drink ticket. Reservation deadline is October 24. To attend, call (805) 653-0323 x 315.

The museum also holds its 10th annual free Day of the Dead Community Celebration on Saturday, October 30 from 11:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. This family event gives visitors a chance to experience traditional arts and crafts, music, and dance that celebrate Day of the Dead. The Museum of Ventura County is located at 100 East Main Street in downtown Ventura.

Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos) honors the departed who are said to come back to walk among the living on November 1 and 2. Celebrated in many parts of Mexico and Latin America, Día de los Muertos is now popular in the United States among Latinos and non-Latinos alike. Humorous skulls (calaveras), and skeletons blithely going about worldly business are the dominant symbols of the celebration, which has roots in pre-Columbian as well as Spanish religious beliefs.