Festival Of Skeletons Celebrates Day Of The Dead In Bradenton

BRADENTON, FL — The Village of the Arts biggest event of the year, the Festival of Skeletons, returns Friday, 6 to 9:30 p.m., and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

This 21st annual celebration takes place village wide with many local galleries, art studios, restaurants, and other venues open to the public, with pop-up vendors also setting up as part of the monthly Bradenton Art Market.

The festival is based on Dia de los Muertos or Day of the Dead, “which is a very rich holiday based on Mexican American and Mexican culture, where they celebrate the recently deceased,” Andy Schroeder, the general manager for Adobe Graffiti Lounge and Kava Bar and owner of the art market events, told Patch. “They unearth bones and polish and clean them as respect to the recently dead. It sounds gruesome, but it’s actually quite a colorful celebration with the sugar skulls and art.”

Though Day of the Dead is typically recognized on Nov. 1, the village celebrates it on the first Friday of November each year.

Alfredo Garcia, artist and owner of the gallery Arte Coyoacano, previously told Patch that while the event can be compared to Halloween in America, “it’s more a celebration for dead loved ones and family.”

“We put out shrines, food they liked, pictures of them,” he added. “It’s kind of a celebration of life, instead of death, and more related to our loved ones. There is nothing scary about it. It’s very spiritual.”

“Every shrine is unique in its dedication and the community shrine has its own theme,” Schroeder said.

This year, the festival’s community shrine is honoring the village’s creators, founders, and contributors, who helped to shape the arts district.

Businesses within the village will also set up their own shrines and altars. Adobe, for instance, dedicates its shrine to those who have died from overdoses and addiction issues.

People can stop at each shrine and write their own notes and dedications to lost loved ones.

The large-scale event usually draws thousands to the village and features live music and art, vendors, Mexican food and drinks, and community shrines to honor those who have died.

“It’s really important to the neighborhood, probably the largest event we have,” Schroeder said. “ We get thousands of visitors to the area. People get dressed up; they go all out for it.”

He added, “The neighborhood really comes alive. We have a very vibrant Spanish population here. It’s really cool to also see house parties everywhere and it’s really special to see the neighborhood come together, especially with today’s divisive political engagement. This neighborhood has diverse backgrounds and everyone comes together. It’s great to see.”

The Village of the Arts is located between 17th Avenue West and 9th Avenue West and between 14th Street West and 9th Street West. Learn more about the arts district online here.

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