Halloween activities in Downtown Athens

Published 10:30 am Monday, October 30, 2023

The annual First Responders Trunk or Treat event will be Tuesday, Oct. 31, on Marion Street from 5-7 p.m. First responders and their friends will be the vendors. Children can trick-or-treat with Athens Police, Athens Fire, Limestone Sheriff’s, volunteer fire departments, Athens-Limestone Ambulance Service, Air Evac and more.

Athens Arts League will keep High Cotton Arts on Washington Street (near the Trunk or Treat event area) open later on Halloween (until 7 p.m.). Bring trick-or-treaters for candy and drop off copies of your loved ones’ photographs and to be part of the Ofrenda art installation.

The Mexican celebration, known as Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), is a time when families gather to honor and celebrate the memories of deceased loved ones. During the days preceding the main celebration families usually clean and decorate the graves of their loved ones before building memorial altars. These altars may include pictures of the departed, paper flowers, sugar skulls and candles, as well as other memorabilia of the deceased family members and beloved friends.

The Dia de los Muertos began in Aztec times and skulls were recognized as symbols of death. In the early 1900s, Mexican printmaker, José Guadalupe Posada created a famous print of a figure he called La Calavera Catrina (The Elegant Skull) as a parody of a Mexican upper-class woman. Posada’s striking image of a costumed female with a skeleton face has become associated with the Day of the Dead.

The Ofrenda, created by volunteers from the Hispanic community, is part of Athens Arts League’s celebration of Dia de los Muertos. Commonly referred to as Day of the Dead, this celebration is a time to gather to remember and celebrate the memories of deceased loved ones.

In addition to Halloween evening, the Ofrenda will be available for public viewing at High Cotton on Nov. 1 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Nov. 2 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.