MUSCATINE, IOWA (October 16, 2025) — The Muscatine Art Center invites families to celebrate Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos) on Saturday, November 1, 1:30-4PM, with an afternoon of free, hands-on activities, artmaking, and bilingual performances that honor this vibrant Mexican tradition. Admission is free of charge, and no registration is required.
Throughout the afternoon, families can take part in arts and crafts, such as creating dancing skeletons and butterfly-themed projects inspired by the work of the Eulenspiegel Puppet Theatre. Participants can also make their own finger puppets, using colorful materials like wooden beads and pompoms to craft charming, personalized characters.
In addition to artmaking, guests can join art educator Julie Lear for an ancestral altar activity honoring Laura Musser, the original “lady of the house” whose legacy continues at the Musser-McColm Mansion, now home to the Muscatine Art Center.
Members of the Greater Quad Cities Hispanic Chamber of Commerce will also be on-site offering Calaveras (skull) face-painting and sharing information about the Chamber’s programs and community outreach.
A highlight of the celebration will be two bilingual puppet shows presented by the Eulenspiegel Puppet Theatre, a longtime Muscatine favorite known for creative storytelling and handcrafted puppets. At 1:30PM, families can enjoy Uncle Rabbit’s Adventures (Las Aventuras de Tío Conejo), a lively performance combining two international trickster tales, Tops and Bottoms and The Goat in the Garden. Developed by Monica Leo in collaboration with her late Mexican partner Eli Portugal, this story — performed in both English and Spanish — follows clever Uncle Rabbit and his wife Rosita as they outwit Señor Cabra, a wealthy goat unwilling to share his harvest.
At 3:30PM, the fun continues with Nacho and Yoyo’s Escapades (Las Escapadas de Nacho y Yoyo), an imaginative bilingual show featuring a mischievous chihuahua and an escaped circus monkey. Blending elements of Iowa City’s barrio history with original songs, colorful characters, and a two-part kazoo band, the story follows siblings Lupita and Juanito as they chase after their runaway pets to see what adventures await at Ralston Creek.
Other scheduled activities include a 2:15PM ancestral altar activity with Julie Lear and a 2:45PM butterfly craft led by Eulenspiegel Puppet Theatre. The event promises a lively mix of art, music, storytelling, and community celebration, offering families a meaningful way to remember loved ones and learn about cultural traditions through creativity.
The studio crafts are offered throughout the event, 1:30-4PM, with several offerings on a set schedule.
Visitors of all ages can enjoy activities spread across all three floors of the Stanley Gallery. Guests are encouraged to park in the Cedar Street parking lot and enter the first floor studio classroom, where the festivities begin.
Schedule at a glance:
1:30PM Eulenspiegel Puppet Show — “Uncle Rabbit’s Adventures / Las Adventuras de Tio Conejo”
2:15PM Ancestral Alter for Laura Musser with Julie Lear
2:45PM Butterfly Craft with Eulenspiegel Puppet Theater
3:30PM Eulenspiegel Puppet Show — “Nacho and Yoyo’s Escapades / Escapades de Nacho Y Yoyo”
The Muscatine Art Center is open Tuesday through Friday, 10AM-5PM; Thursdays 10AM-7PM; and Saturdays and Sundays, 1-5PM. The Muscatine Art Center is located at 1314 Mulberry Avenue in Muscatine, Iowa. For more information visit muscatineartcenter.org or to speak with a representative call 563-263-8282.
