Annual “Ofrendas” Cultural Exhibit Shines Spotlight on Hispanic Heritage Month at History Fort Lauderdale

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"In Living Memory I" by Omar Angulo, courtesy of History Fort Lauderdale and Florida Day of the Dead.

Residents and visitors are invited to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month at History Fort Lauderdale and the colorful traditions of Mexico’s Día de los Muertos with special tours, a viewing of “Ofrendas,” community memorial altars covered in photographs, flowers and favorite items of the dearly departed, plus participate in a variety of outdoor cultural community activities compliant with COVID-19 social distancing guidelines.

History Fort Lauderdale, proud steward of our community’s past by making our heritage accessible and engaging to residents and visitors, invites the community to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with “Ofrendas,” its annual homage to the colorful traditions of Mexico’s Día de los Muertos. This year’s exhibit, opening October 4 and running through November 2, will showcase fine art and creative community memorial altars or “ofrendas” covered in photographs, flowers and favorite items of the dearly departed.

Fully complying with social distancing and health and safety guidelines, activities will include an opening ceremony, a ZOOM Community Conversation about the history and future of Día de los Muertos, Florida Day of the Dead Celebration shadow puppet theater storytelling and a closing evening of pop-up “Ofrendas” on the banks of the New River.

Activities and events for this year’s “Ofrendas” are as follows:

Monday, October 19, at 6:45 p.m.; Community Conversation: The History and Future of Day of the Dead in Mexico; Open to the public. Suggested donation of $10.

Join History Fort Lauderdale for an interactive ZOOM discussion about the history and future of Day of the Dead in Mexico. RSVP requested at http://bit.ly/HFLOfrendas2020CC.

Sunday, November 1, from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.; Florida Day of the Dead Celebration’s Shadow Puppet Theater and roving giant puppets

Enjoy Catrinas and Folklorico performances at the New River Inn. Participate in limited, timed ticket tours of the “Ofrendas” exhibition. Sponsored by Riverwalk, City of Fort Lauderdale and the Puppet Network & Puppet Guild of South Florida.

Monday, November 2 from 4 p.m. – 9 p.m.; Florida Day of the Dead Celebration Closing Evening; Free

Bring your family to History Fort Lauderdale for an evening of pop-up “Ofrendas,” luminarias on the New River and entertainment experiences including Tradicional Aztek Dancers Tloke Nahuake. Last chance for timed ticket tours of the “Ofrendas” exhibition.

Select events and pop-up performances will be livestreamed on Facebook at facebook.com/dayofthedeadflorida to encourage virtual participation.

In compliance with local and state health guidelines, visitors to History Fort Lauderdale will be required to wear a mask, have a digital temperature reading and practice safe social distancing of six feet apart. Hand sanitizer will be available at the front desk admission point and all surfaces will be thoroughly cleaned multiple times a day, per CDC guidelines. Additionally, guests will be asked to sign-in, daily, for contact tracing.

History Fort Lauderdale admission is $15 for adults; $12 for seniors and $7 for students (through age 22 with a valid student ID). Admission is free for members, military and children ages six and under. Tickets are available online at http://bit.ly/HistoryFortLauderdaleTickets.

For more information about History Fort Lauderdale, please call (954) 463-4431 or visit us online at historyfortlauderdale.org. Follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/ftlhistory and on Instagram @ftlhistory and subscribe to us on YouTube at youtube.com/user/FTLhistory.