The Life in Death Festival will be held on November 1st and 2nd, 2023 at Winchester Dondero Cultural Center and will feature performances on stage each day with Mexican dance troupes and readings of “calaveras,” or “skulls,” which are poems, usually humorous, written “in memory” of people who are still alive. They treat the menace of death with good-natured humor and offer a chance to poke fun at prominent people. People may also participate in the Day of the Dead art exhibit. Artists are advised to learn Day of the Dead traditions which honor the dead, but also confront death itself, often with a humorous attitude. Meanwhile, dance, music, and humorous poetry remind us that death helps define life, and should not be feared.
 
In the Mexican tradition, families and other groups build beautiful ofrendas (altars), glowing with candlelight, that are covered with the food, drink, and other objects loved by the deceased while alive in order to lure them back for a visit. The ofrendas are elaborate works of art—beautiful, detailed and sometimes huge.
 
Those interested may contact the Winchester Cultural Center at (702) 455-7340 
 
General LID Event Information 
2023 Ofrenda Contest Rules
2023 Calavera Release Form
2023 Food Vendor Application
2023 Craft Vendor Application
 
Clark County Parks and Recreation presents “Life in Death: Day of the Dead,” a two-day festival featuring displays, an art exhibit, performances, craft sales, and food vendors at Winchester Cultural Center and Park, 3130 S. McLeod Drive. The event will explore cultural traditions related to the Mexican holiday of El Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead. Admission to the festival is free.
 
The festival will feature “ofrendas,” or altars built by families and other groups in memory of deceased relatives or other beloved individuals. The ofrendas are elaborate works of art, detailed and sometimes large in size, and will be displayed outdoors in Winchester Park. 
 
Performances in the park each day will feature Mexican dance troupes and readings of “calaveras,” or “skulls,” which are satirical poems written to commemorate people who are still alive. The poems treat the menace of death with good-natured humor and offer a chance to poke fun at prominent celebrities and political figures. Traditional Mexican folkloric dance performances are also presented by well-known local groups and touring groups onstage.
 
The Winchester Cultural Center Gallery will host an exhibition of various artists celebrating the art of the Day of the Dead and will feature the beauty that comes from such a unique event.
 
Authentic Mexican crafts will be offered for sale and a variety of food vendors will be on-site, and free samples of special Day of the Dead bread made only once a year will be given out to festival attendees. Demonstrations of traditional embroidery, as well as children's activities and workshops on the Day of the Dead bread-making and sugar/clay skull decoration.