Festival Dia de Muertos MTL
Festival Dia de Muertos MTL is a celebration inviting Montrealers to come closer to the meaning of life and death through Mexican tradition. For its 6th edition, celebrate with PAAL Partageons le monde from October 13 to November 13.
For centuries, various cultures around the world have honored life and death as part of a natural cycle observed in nature and the changing seasons. Celebrating Halloween and the Day of the Dead is beyond the Catrinas, flowery skulls or scary and grotesque representations of death. It is an opportunity to feel this incarnation of the cycle of life and death in each of us. With Dia de Muertos, we also take the opportunity to pay our respects to our relatives and ancestors who left before us.
Free events for everyone.
Route of altars
To honor their ancestors, in the Mexican tradition, altars are created with corn grains, beans or other harvested grains, flowers, fruits, salt, souvenirs, small skulls with our name symbols of our own passage, colors, candles and other elements that make sense to the dead and the living. Fifteen of these altars will be created and presented in several places.
Participate in the route!
- Notre-Dame-de-Grâce – Botrel Cultural Center
- Port-Maurice at Saint-Léonard Gallery
- Major event “Manalli” at Notre-Dame-de-Grâce
Free. No ticket.
Major event
Exhibitions of altars, music, stories, dance, traditional dishes, artisans and merchants.
Saturday, October 29, 2022
12:00 to 6:00 pm
The school hall of Rudolf Steiner de Montréal
4855 Av. de Kensington, Montréal, QC H3X 3S6
The 2022 edition offers Montrealers an immersive experience of the Dia de Muertos, as in Mexico, with a great event that will allow the public to experience this beautiful tradition where Mexican families pay tribute to their deceased. The six-hour event will feature an exhibition of 12 altars in memory of the dead, musical performances, tales, poetry and dance with some 15 Mexican and Irish artists (celebrating the Samhain Celte or Day of the Dead equivalent). Artisans and merchants, mostly immigrants and members of visible minorities, will offer their products and a poster auction will be organized for the organization L’envol de femmes.
*If sanitary conditions permit
Free upon registration.
Get your ticket here
Visit our Facebook page
The cycle of life and death
Photographic exhibition
FROM SEPTEMBER 8 TO NOVEMBER 15
Free admission
Notre-Dame-de-Grâce – Botrel Cultural Center
3755, rue Botrel, Montréal (Québec) H4A 3G8
The autumn wind blows insistently, and we are perhaps like trees shaken by the biting wind of inevitable transformation. Ten artists of Colombian, Mexican and Canadian origins come together to explore the points of encounter between transformation and roots, the perspectives towards ancestors, the metaphysical questions about the great mystery that hides at the end of the human journey, rituals and symbolism.
The artists were invited by PAAL Partageons le monde to exhibit their visions on the concept “The Cycle of Life and Death” at the Notre-Dame-de-Grâce Cultural Center.
Curator: Yaen Tijerina
Thanks to the artists: Linda Rutenberg, Jannet Zuniga, Marianne Larochelle, Lee Lapaix, Damian Siqueiros, Pilar Macias, Adriana Garcia Cruz, Andrea Calderon, Michael Abri and Yaen Tijerina.
For more information: https://montreal.ca/…/le-cycle-de-la-vie-et-de-la-mort…
*Cover photo : © Marianne Larochelle
This project is funded by the Government of Canada, the Conseil des arts de Montréal and through the Agreement on the Cultural Development of Montréal between the City of Montréal and the Government of Québec
Concerts
Two artists of Mexican origin Mamselle Ruiz and Noé Lira each will give a concert. Well known in Quebec, these two artists each received the Prix Révélation Radio-Canada in 2013-2014 and 2022-2023, respectively.
Mamselle Ruiz
October 27, 8 pm
NDG – Benny Cultural Center
6400, avenue de Monkland
Montréal (Québec) H4B 1H3
As part of the Festival Dia de Muertos MTL 2022, the artist of Mexican origin Mamselle Ruiz will give a concert on October 27, at 8 pm, of the most popular songs of the Dia de Muertos tradition at the NDG-Benny Cultural Center.
Well known in Quebec, this artist received the Prix Révélation Radio-Canada in 2013-2014: @MamselleRuizPage
The culture department of the CDN-NDG borough is our partner in this concert.
FREE entry with passes available at the Cultural Center reception. YOU CAN GET TICKETS FROM THURSDAY OCT 13. 2022 AT 10:00 AM
Mamselle Ruiz website
Get your tickets here
Noé Lira
December 7th, 7:30pm
Activity room at the Saint-Léonard Library
8420 Bd Lacordaire, Saint-Léonard, QC H1R 3G5
As part of the Festival Dia de Muertos MTL 2022, the artist of Mexican origin Noé Lira will give a concert on December 7 at 7:30 pm at the NDG-Benny Cultural Center.
Well known in Quebec, this artist received the Prix Révélation Radio-Canada in 2022-2023: @noeliraofficial
Le service culturel de l’arrondissement Saint-Léonard est notre partenaire dans ce concert.
FREE entrance with pass available at the reception of the Saint-Léonard Library. YOU CAN GET TICKETS FROM NOW
Noé Lira website
Get your tickets here
Traditional Mexican Bakery Workshop
Traditional Mexican bakery workshop for the Day of the Dead with the baker and founder of Carlota Boulangerie, Mariana Martin. Proudly Mexican, she wants to share the tradition and her love for the delicious ”pan de muerto oaxaqueño” (deathbread), also called “pan de yema” (egg yolk bread).
Monday 24 October from 4pm to 8pm
4804, rue St Urbain, Montréal (Québec), H2T 2W2
Free upon registration Eventbrite. Limited places.
For more information about the chef: @carlota.boulmexicaine
Sign up here
Family workshops
Various workshops will be given from October 1 to 30 for all, given by Mexican artisans and artists.
Mexican clay skeletons
As part of the Journées de la Culture, PAAL Partager le monde invites you to participate in this family workshop. In the spirit of tradition, the participants will make a small clay skeleton.
October 1st
At the PAAL Partageons le monde premises
4815, av. Bessborough, Montréal, (Québec) H4V 2S2
Free. Limited places.
RESERVATION REQUIRED
info@paalmtl.org
514-657-3340
For more information on the Culture Day.
Sign up here
Workshop of cardboard skulls
The borough of St-Léonard, in collaboration with the Culture Department, is organizing a skulls workshop with PAAL.
Wednesday, October 19, 2022 from 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm
Related to l’exposition Autel- Dia de muertos
For more information: Atelier de crânes en carton à St-Léonard
Saint-Léonard Library
Activity room
8420 Bd Lacordaire, Saint-Léonard, QC H1R 3G5
Free upon registration.
Sign up here
Conference – Dia de los Muertos with traditional bread tasting
The borough of St-Léonard and in collaboration with the culture department, organizes with PAAL Partageons le monde a conference with tasting of the muerto pan.
An explanation of this tradition is given with the traditional, historical and decorative elements of a traditional altar. At the end of the activity, we will share traditional bread of death and discuss ways to honour our ancestors. Speakers: Rafael Benitez (Intercultural Mediator, MA ) and Pilar Hernandez (Cultural Mediator)
Saturday, October 22, 2022 from 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Saint-Léonard Library
Activity room
8420 Bd Lacordaire, Saint-Léonard, QC H1R 3G5
Free – No ticket
For more information
Workshop – Mexican clay skeletons in St-Léonard
The borough of St-Léonard and in collaboration with the culture department, organizes with PAAL Partageons le monde a workshop of Mexican clay skeletons.
In connection with the Dia de los Muertos altar exhibition at the Galerie Port-Maurice, we invite you, with family or friends, to come and make a small clay skeleton. Workshop for children and grown-ups!
Saturday, October 15, 2022 from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm
For more information: Atelier Squelettes mexicaines en argile
Saint-Léonard library
Activity room
8420 Bd Lacordaire, Saint-Léonard, QC H1R 3G5
Free upon registration.
Sign up here
Traditional altar participative exhibition
St-Léonard October 19, 2022 – 6:00 p.m. to November 13, 2022 – 6:00 p.m.
Free – No ticket
The borough of St-Léonard and in collaboration with the Department of Culture, organizes with PAAL the exhibition Autel – Dia de Muertos. This exhibition invites the community of St-Léonard to discover the meaning of one of the oldest Mexican traditions, the Day of the Dead.
This exhibition is also participatory:
- The decorative elements of the altar will be created in advance with local residents. The public will be able to appreciate all its facets.
- Those who so desire will be invited to bring and drop off a photo or object of a missing loved one, so that he can be part of the altar.
It is therefore a true celebration of the Day of the Dead that is presented to you, as we still find it today in Mexico!
An opening is organized on Wednesday, October 19, 2022 at 6 pm.
Port-Maurice Gallery
Limited services
8420, boulevard Lacordaire, Montréal (Québec), H1R 3G5
For more information
Traditional stories
An afternoon of traditional Mexican tales, with the celebration of the Dia de Muertos (Day of the Dead). We will have a guest artist, who with his charisma will make children and adults smile.
November 3 at 5:00 pm
Café 92
6703, rue Sherbrooke Ouest, Montréal (Québec) H4B 1P3
Free upon registration.
Sign up here
Workshop of Catrinas of papier mâché (online)
After having had explanations on the traditional, historical and decorative elements of the Day of the Dead, you will be able to create in family of paper maché Catrinas in a virtual way with the artist Lolis Perez @ixchelcreationsca
Sign up for the list of materials, the platform to use for the activity and login details.
Free upon registration.
Sign up here
The movie “Coco”
The borough of St-Léonard, in collaboration with the Culture Department, organizes the screening of the film “Coco” with PAAL Partager le monde.
Sunday, October 30, 2022 from 3:00 pm to 4:45 pm
In this fun family tale, a young musician named Miguel leaves for an extraordinary journey to the magical land of his ancestors.
Trailer Movie here
For more information on the projection: Cinéma à Saint-Léonard
Saint-Léonard Library
Activity room
8420 Bd Lacordaire, Saint-Léonard, QC H1R 3G5
Free – No ticket
School workshops on the Day of the Dead
During the workshops, participants interact with each other to discover the similarities between their different traditions in order to honour their deceased. This dialogue can be a source of mutual and long-term understanding can help preserve peace and harmony in a multi-ethnic society like Montreal.
To find out the price and make a reservation for this workshop, please contact us:
+1 514 657 3340
info@paalmtl.org
More info on school workshops
Help us keep the festival free
Your contribution helps pay Montreal artists who collaborate with us by sharing their talents and you will receive an official donation receipt.
Donnez ici
Editions of the Dia de Muertos Festival
Your donation make our free activities possible
Help us break down cultural barriers!
We need your support in order to accomplish our mission of educating and sensitizing the members of different Montreal communities, and to raise awareness about cultural diversity with hopes to put an end to racism.
Donate
Charitable registration number 72939 6697 RR 0001 / Quebec registration number 1172428204