The Cenart was transformed into a unique underworld of art and culture

As has been customary for several years on the Day of the Dead, the National Center for the Arts (Cenart) was overwhelmed this Saturday with countless small and cute deaths, mustachioed devils, smiling witches, mischievous mummies and the occasional bumper spirit, on the first of the two days of the 24th Calacas Fair.

Organized by the National Coordination of Child Development Alas y Raíces, of the federal Ministry of Culture, this annual event brought together thousands of families, groups of friends, young couples and, in general, from shortly before noon until nine at night , people of all ages to pay tribute and celebrate their deceased and ancestors.

In a first attendance cutoff, carried out at 4 p.m., the authorities of that instance reported 12,600 visitors, just over a quarter of what they received during the two days last year, a total of 40,000 people. The forecasts for this occasion are to reach that same figure, even exceed it.

A multicolored arch made with paper flowers and still life welcomes attendees to this Mictlán located in the green areas of Cenart. It is the threshold to a unique underworld made up of four forums: Performing Arts, Circus Pavilion, Narrations and Music Stage, in addition to 10 large tents and the Arts Theater.

In these spaces, an artistic and cultural program of nearly 300 activities is carried out for audiences of all ages, from musical presentations, dance and theater to puppets and puppets, as well as oral narrations, with the participation of more than 100 artists, in addition from various workshops.

Added to this are recreational installations and offerings, such as the large one that welcomes the public at the main entrance of this cultural complex, which commemorates the architects Ricardo Legorreta and Teodoro González de León, two of the architects of this monumental space that this 2024 turned 30 years old, as well as the diplomat, writer and cultural manager Rafael Tovar y de Teresa, promoter of this center in his capacity as president of the then National Council for Culture and the Arts, today the Ministry of Culture.

There are also dozens of modules with exhibitions of crafts from various entities in the country, from papel picado, pottery and masks to jewelry, textiles and embroidery, in addition to those designed to offer a wide and varied gastronomic offer.

reunion day

The place is a popular festival where children’s laughter and joy prevail. A unique human swarm full of music, rumors, colors and aromas, as well as people of all ages dressed up according to the occasion (deaths, calacas, catrinas, devils, witches, weeping women and monsters), but also superheroes like Batman and Spider-Man, or fantastic animals, like sharks or dinosaurs.

And the Day of the Dead is an occasion very special for Mexican families, as Gabriela and Édgar, and their daughter Valeria, told this newspaper, since It is when you remember, honor the memory and celebrate your loved ones who have gone to the other world.

It is the most important cultural celebration in the country, because it allows us to meet our little dead and express the love we have for them and the lack they make us.said Luis Gutiérrez, from the Álvaro Obregón mayor’s office, who has attended this meeting for five years, accompanied by his wife and three children.

From the Álamos neighborhood, Natalia Mendoza has been going to this fair for as long as she can remember. Now she is 25 years old, and for her this date causes mixed feelings, since on the one hand she feels an inexplicable melancholy and, on the other, great emotion and pride in knowing that this is a very Mexican tradition: The belief is that our family and loved ones come, and the truth is that we feel a different warmth and joy..

Although he still has no clear idea of ​​death –I don’t know, is it when someone leaves and doesn’t come back?– At almost seven years old, Irving really enjoys the Day of the Dead celebration, because they dress him up and give him lots of candy when he asks for his skull. This is the second time that he has attended this festival at Cenart; He does it with his dad and his younger sister. What he likes most are the workshops and oral storytellers.

Like every year, the Calacas Fair is dedicated to a special theme. This edition (whose activities will continue today from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. with free admission) is Lost Souls, that is, all those people who died on some unknown route and who perhaps we don’t even know their name, but we do know They are part of our family. With this fair we want to name them, remember them, accompany them to return from the afterlife or wherever they have gone, and pamper them,” explained Guillermina Pérez Suárez, national coordinator of Children’s Cultural Development-Alas y Raíces.