By Robert Brune
MARGARETVILLE — The diversity of culture in Margaretville continues to strengthen the whole community through this year’s four-day Day of the Dead celebration at the Galli Curci Theater. On Wednesday, the theater’s bare walls were transformed by Armando Cuatianquiz and his partner at Sacred Soil, Juve Maldonado, into a radiant tapestry of Mexican art, traditional clothing, learning materials, and brilliant marigold flowers. The altar, where visitors were invited to place photos or small objects from loved ones who have passed, grew more elaborate than ever. Now in its third year, the event has become a cornerstone of the local arts calendar, blending reverence, education, and festivity.
Friday evening marked the start of the entertainment lineup, coinciding with Halloween festivities throughout town. The stage belonged to the Oaxacan singer Nylzher, known as “The Voice of the Heart,” whose reputation throughout the Americas was well earned that night. Her angelic voice filled the packed theater, eliciting tears and cheers from a captivated audience. The light rain outside only added to the sense of intimacy within, where the warmth of song and community spirit carried the evening.
Saturday began with a colorful parade from Margaretville Central School to the theater, featuring spectacular costumes from the Yayauhk Tezcatlipoca music and dance group of Mexico. Joined by local performer Jessica Black on stilts, the group led a joyful procession of feathers, drums, and smiles through Main Street. Once at the theater, Cuatianquiz and guest speakers opened the official ceremony, honoring the elements of the earth and the universe in a traditional ritual of welcome. The air filled with the sound of tribal drums, flutes, whistles, and rattles as Yayauhk Tezcatlipoca performed dances representing animals and natural forces. Behind them, the altar glowed with candles and marigolds, forming a powerful backdrop to the ceremony. The aroma of chicken mole and fresh tortillas wafted through the space as families shared food, music, and poetry.
Sunday focused on the art of dance. Yayauhk Tezcatlipoca opened the day with another energetic performance, followed by the Ballet Folklórico Mixtly Tonatiuh from Liberty, whose dancers brought vibrant traditional Mexican choreography to the stage. Jessica Black closed the evening with an aerial performance that left the audience breathless. Suspended in midair, she moved with grace and confidence, embodying the celebration’s theme of life, spirit, and renewal. Her finale, greeted by thunderous applause, reminded all that the Day of the Dead is as much about vitality as remembrance.
Monday’s closing ceremony was quieter but no less meaningful. A modest crowd gathered to join Cuatianquiz and Maldonado as they once again called upon the elements to close the spiritual gateway opened earlier in the weekend. Friends and families participated in prayer and song, saying goodbye to the spirits of loved ones until next year. The mood was peaceful, contemplative, and full of gratitude for the lessons and memories the four days had brought.
At the heart of this annual gathering is a profound philosophy of life and death that stretches back hundreds of years. The Day of the Dead, or Día de los Muertos, is rooted in ancestral wisdom that sees death not as an end but as transformation—a return to the source of all life. To the ancient Mexica and other peoples of Anáhuac, existence was a sacred cycle: everything that is born must one day return, and what we call death is simply the invisible continuation of energy.
The Day of the Dead serves as a reminder of that eternal rhythm. It teaches that family bonds do not break with death but deepen through remembrance. When candles are lit or bread is offered, people are not mourning absence but celebrating the presence of spirit in all things. Every marigold, every piece of bread, every breath of copal smoke opens a doorway between worlds. The altar becomes a microcosm of the universe, a bridge between the visible and invisible realms, where ancestors walk beside the living.
The ceremony honors the five elements that sustain life and the cosmos. Fire, symbolized by candles and copal (smoke), lights the spirits’ path. Air, represented by papel picado, reminds us of the divine breath that connects worlds. Earth, through bread, corn, and flowers, grounds the offerings in physical memory. Water purifies and refreshes those who return. And movement, the principle of transformation itself, binds everything together in harmony. Each year, the ritual reminds participants that everything transforms, everything returns, and everything continues to move within the great circle of life.
For Cuatianquiz and Maldonado, the event is more than an artistic celebration; it is a form of teaching, sharing, and community building. Through the four days of performances, they help residents of the Catskills understand the ancestral relevance of these traditions and the deep connections between family, land, and spirit. Their efforts also have tangible local benefits. The Day of the Dead brings hundreds of visitors into town, boosting restaurants, shops, and local accommodations. Vendors, volunteers, and performers all contribute to a celebration that honors culture while strengthening the local economy.
The culinary side of the weekend added another layer of connection. Throughout the four days, the menu changed daily, offering authentic dishes prepared by Cuatianquiz, Maldonado and family members. Attendees were treated to chicken mole, pozole, and hand-made desserts, each reflecting a piece of Mexican regional tradition. Over recent months, the pair have introduced their cuisine to the area through pop-up events at the Print House, Folsom Point, and other venues. These gatherings have been a preview of their upcoming restaurant, El Sazón Cósmico, set to open this spring in the Commons Building in Margaretville.
As the candles dimmed on Monday and the final prayers were spoken, there was a sense of fulfillment in the room. The Day of the Dead had once again united people through art, remembrance, and food, proving that honoring the past can also breathe life into the present. In celebrating the spirits of their ancestors, Margaretville’s residents also celebrated the spirit of their own community: resilient, diverse, and alive.
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