Giant Puppets and Veracruz Dance Lead a Bronx Day of the Dead Parade
On November 1, NYBG's Día de los Muertos holds its only parade, with giant puppets, folk dance from Veracruz and a cumbia lesson.
🗓️ Parade Day, Sunday, November 1
💀 La Catrina, From Satire to Giant Puppet
La Catrina began as a satirical cartoon by Mexican printmaker José Guadalupe Posada in the early 20th century, an elegantly dressed skeleton mocking the gap between social classes. At NYBG, artist Lucrecia Novoa of Mascara Viva has built giant handmade puppets of La Catrina, skeletons and monarch butterflies for the garden. On November 1 the Catrina and skeleton puppets roam the grounds from 1 PM to 5 PM, a chance to see the craft up close before they join the parade.
🥁 1 PM Crafts, Then the 2 PM Procession
The afternoon opens at 1 PM with wearable art making before the procession. At 2 PM, the season's only parade sets off, with Son Pecadores musicians and dancers leading and the giant puppets following through the garden. The parade comes with the All-Garden Pass, 39 dollars for adults and 35 for seniors and students on weekends, and no separate parade ticket is listed. In bad weather, NYBG cancels the 2 PM procession while every other activity continues as planned.
💃 Zapateado and Cumbia on Daffodil Hill
At 2:30 PM, MAZarte Dance Company takes the Daffodil Hill Main Stage with music and dance from Veracruz, including zapateado footwork meant to call the spirits back. At 3:15 PM, Queens born instructor CoolMarx teaches basic cumbia sonidera steps, and a dance party runs from 3:30 PM to 5 PM, when the Día de los Muertos trail closes. Mexican kitchens along East 187th Street and East 183rd Street are a short ride away for tacos after the garden.
