This Week

For a complete listing of this week’s events, visit newsreview.com/reno

El Día de los Muertos Celebration

As we approach winter, the days get shorter, and the nights get colder and longer. The cycle of life and death completes another rotation as plants and animals go into hibernation or perish as the fertility of the land gives way to the barren times of winter. Various ancient cultures marked this seasonal transition with rituals and festivals that gave thanks for a bountiful harvest, as well as honored the gods and dead ancestors. The Celtic festival of Samhain marked the end of summer and temporarily removed the barrier between the living and the dead. The Roman feast of Pomona honored the goddess of the harvest and was held roughly the same time as Samhain. Ancient Aztecs held a festival which honored dead ancestors and was dedicated to the goddess Mictecacihuatl, also known as “The Lady of the Dead.” Elements of these ancient festivals can be observed in the present-day celebrations of Halloween,

El Día de los Muertos (The Day of the Dead) and the Christian counterparts All Hallows Eve, All Saints Days and All

Souls Day, which fall between Oct. 31 and Nov. 2.

Widely celebrated in Mexico and throughout Latin America, El Día de los Muertos is gaining more attention in the United States as a result of its growing Latino population. During this three-day holiday, which corresponds with the Christian observance of Hallowmas, families visit cemeteries and decorate the graves of relatives, remembering the departed and leaving offerings of flowers, food, beverages and treats. The Latino Research

Center at the University of Nevada, Reno will hold a celebration of the holiday this Saturday, Nov. 2. There will be music, food, children’s activities, including face painting and making traditional sugar skulls, and an exhibition featuring altars created by students and members of campus organizations and the wider community. The event begins at 2 p.m. at the Joe Crowley Student Union Ballroom at the University of Nevada, Reno, 1664 N. Virginia St. Call 784-4010 or visit www.unr.edu/latinocenter.

—Kelley Lang

World Music & Dance

Traditional Association for Cultural Harmony presents this program of Indian slide guitar, kathak dance, ghazal singing and jazz to celebrate Diwali, the Hindu Festival of Lights. Indian classical guitarist (kachappi veena) player Thakur Chakrapani Singh performs along with harp and saxophone/flute duo Susan Mazer and Dallas Smith, dancer Anya Devi and vocalist Ganesh Swami. The concert begins at 4 p.m. on the eve of Diwali, Saturday, Nov. 2, at the Laxalt Auditorium inside the Warren Nelson Building, 401 W. Second St. Tickets are $10-$50. Call (775) 241-8144 or visit www.tachllc.org.

Masquerade at Moulin Rouge

Nevada Museum of Art invites the public to experience the excitement of Belle Époque France, during the late 19th century when artists and aristocrats filled cabarets like the famed Moulin Rouge in Paris to watch dancers perform the scandalous can-can, drink absinthe and seek inspiration. The fête includes music by French chanteuse Suzanne Ramsey, a.k.a. Kitten on the Keys, a Parisian-style photo booth and acrobatic entertainment by Gregangelo and Velocity Circus of San Francisco. The event also celebrates the grand opening of Mark Estee’s new French-inspired restaurant, chez louie, and the premiere of the NMA’s feature exhibition Toulouse-Lautrec & La Vie Moderne: Paris 1880–1919, on view Nov. 2 through Jan. 19. Costumes are encouraged. The party begins at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 2, at the NMA, 160 W. Liberty St. Tickets are $45 for NMA members and $60 for non-members. The ticket price includes a complimentary drink and refreshments. Call 329-3333 or visit www.nevadaart.org.

Dark of the Moon Shines

This dramatic “play with music” by Howard Richardson and William Berney has been staged in high school and college theaters across the nation since its Broadway debut in the 1940s. The script is based on the folk ballad of “Barbara Allen.” Set in the Smoky Mountains, it recounts the story of John, a strange “witch boy” who falls in love with the beautiful Barbara Allen at first sight. He is given human form to woo and marry her on the condition that she remain true to him. But, alas, the lovers’ union will not have a fairytale ending. Showtimes are 7 p.m., Thursday-Saturday, on Oct. 31-Nov. 2, and 2 p.m. on Nov. 2 at Damonte Ranch High School, 10500 Damonte Ranch Way. Tickets are $9 for adults, $7 for students, senior citizens, WCSD staff, and an opening night special offering two seats for $10. There will also be a witch costume contest on Halloween night with prizes awarded for most creative and scariest costume. Call (775) 334-7124 or visit http://drhspacdramaprogram.weebly.com.

Reno Philharmonic: Classix Three

The Reno Philharmonic Orchestra’s third concert in its Classix season features renowned cellist Zuill Bailey, who will perform Antonín Dvorák’s Cello Concerto in B minor, op. 104. The program also includes “Heliotrope” by Daron Aric Hagen and Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 1 in C major, op. 21. The concert begins at 4 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 3, and 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 5, at the Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts, 100 S. Virginia St. Tickets are $26-$77. The Reno Philharmonic Youth Orchestra will also present their Fall Showcase at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 4. at the Pioneer Center. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students. Call 323-6393 or visit www.renophil.com.