PORT ANGELES — Sugar skulls. Pan de muerto. Mexican folk tales. Pumpkin flan. Mexican marigold crowns.
The sights and sounds of Dia de los Muertos will consume the ballroom of the Port Angeles Red Lion Hotel tonight, starting at 6:30 p.m. Doors open at 6 p.m.
Tickets for youths 16 and younger cost $10, with tickets for adults costing $25. They can be purchased at Port Book and News, 104 E. First St. in Port Angeles; Joyful Noise Music Center, 112 W. Washington St. in Sequim; or online at jffa.org.
Tickets at the door are expected to be in low supply, event coordinator Kayla Oakes said Tuesday.
The cost includes access to the shredded chicken bar, rice and bean dishes, pan de muerto, pumpkin flan and Mexican hot chocolate, among other treats.
During the celebration, the Port Angeles High School drama program will present a student-directed and written play based on two separate Mexican folk tales, Oakes said.
“The goal is to expose the community to different cultures and different holidays so we can learn about other populations,” Oakes said. “We want to bring people together, drop barriers and share a common experience.”
Sequim musicians also will perform traditional Mexican folk music — the kind that might bring you to the dance floor, Oakes said.
Across the room, activity tables will allow participants to construct flower crowns, form tissue flowers, complete an educational activity book, receive sugar skull tattoos and take on a luminary project.
Not easily unnoticed, an altar will be set up in the center of the ballroom, allowing people to bring photographs and tokens of departed loved ones, she said.
Attendees are encouraged to come in festive dress. A cash-only bar will serve a signature drink throughout the night, Oakes said.
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Reporter Sarah Sharp can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56650, or at ssharp@peninsuladailynews.com.