Día de los Muertos

Saturday, October 29, 2011
10am–4pm
The Pavilions

Join us for a special celebration of Mexican culture and the last day of the summer season Farmers' Market! Help us judge a Churro Competition, have your face painted, learn Mexican crafts, enjoy live Mexican music and more. See the schedule below for full details.

History: The Day of the Dead (Spanish: Día de los Muertos) is a Latin holiday when people gather to pray for and remember friends and family members who have passed. Scholars trace the origins of the modern Mexican holiday to indigenous observances dating back hundreds of years and to an Aztec festival dedicated to a goddess called Mictecacihuatl. In Brazil, Día de Finados is a public holiday that many celebrate by visiting cemeteries and churches. In Spain, festivals and parades are held and people gather at cemeteries and pray for their dead loved ones. Similar observances occur elsewhere in Europe, and similarly themed celebrations appear in many Asian and African cultures.

Schedule

Papel Picado Workshop

Facilitator: Gaby from ChocoSol
When: 2–4pm
Cost: $3 suggested donation

Papel picado ("perforated paper") is a decorative craft made out of paper cut into elaborate designs. Although it is a Mexican folk art, papel picado is used as a holiday decoration in many countries. The designs are commonly cut from tissue paper using a guide and small chisels, creating as many as forty banners at a time. Papel picado can also be made by folding tissue paper and using small, sharp scissors. Common themes includes birds, floral designs, and skeletons. People can make their own paper crafts and decorate the altar.

Chocolate Skull Molding Workshop

Facilitator: Gaby from ChocoSol
When: 2–4pm
Cost: $5 suggested donation

Learn the art of molding chocolate to create your own Day of the Dead-themed skull. Decorate chocolate skulls with flowers, and fruits and learn about the tradition of the Day of the Dead celebrations.

Children's Clay Workshop

When: 11am–1pm, 2–4pm
Where: Building 10b, next to Bike Works
Registration: Pre-register on the day of the event, maximum 8 participants
Cost: $20 suggested donation

Churro Competition

When: 11am–1pm
Cost: $5 for 7 churros tastings

Indulge your sweet tooth and help us decide who makes the best churros in Toronto! All proceeds from the ballots will go to Evergreen Brick Works kids' food programs.

What's a churro? A churro, sometimes referred to as a Spanish doughnut, is a fried-dough pastry-based snack, sometimes made from potato dough, that originated in Spain. Churros are also popular in Latin America, France, Portugal, Morocco, the United States, Australia, and Spanish-speaking Caribbean islands. There are two types of churros in Spain. One is thin (and sometimes knotted) and the other is long and thick (porra). They both are normally eaten for breakfast dipped in hot chocolate or café con leche.

“In my teenage years in Argentina, we used to stop at the churro shop next to the Belgrano train station on our way to school. You could smell the aroma of freshly made churros as soon as you stepped in the station...” --Marina Queirolo, Food Program Manager EBW.

Participating Chefs:
Chris McDonald from Cava Restaurant
Pedro Quintanilla from Bloom Restaurant
Luis Valenzuela from Torito
Andrew Richmond from La Carnita
José Hadad from Frida restaurant & Mad Mexican Salsa
Rossy Earl from Supi Cucu
Vanessa Yeung from Aphrodite Cooks

Special Industry Judges:
Joshna Maharaj
Jose Arato from Pimenton
Bertrand Alépée from The Tempered Chef
David Kemp from Salt Winebar

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