Celebrate Día de Muertos with Indy Reads

Indy Reads is hosting a Día de Muertos celebration on Sunday, November 1, from 1 PM to 3 PM at their space in Fountain Square. The afternoon is led by two of their own graduates, Victor Granados and Edelsys 'Lacha' Lachataignerais Bonet, who met through the organization's Conversation Circles.

There's a full program to work through over those two hours. Granados and Bonet will give a presentation on the holiday, and around them you'll find face painting, flower headband crafting, a community catrina walk, music, and art. There's also a community ofrenda—the altar that sits at the heart of the tradition—and visitors are invited to bring a photo or small memento of a loved one, a pet, or anyone they'd like to honor to add to it.

Knowing the two people behind it gives the whole thing some good context. Lacha is a biochemist from Cuba who came to Indy Reads for English classes and Conversation Circles; she started out working as a busser and later became the Greenhouse Manager at Flanner House, where her daughter Elisa works as a Child Development Assistant. Victor moved here from Mexico in 2022; he taught literature at high schools before starting his own consulting agency, and he now hosts Spanish Conversation Circles at Indy Reads on the second Sunday of each month. They're both graduates of the same program they're now hosting this for.

Indy Reads itself is a community literacy organization in Fountain Square that runs English classes and Conversation Circles. The event is pay-what-you-can, with suggested donations of $10, $20, or other amounts, and free tickets are available. It runs from 1 PM to 3 PM on Sunday, November 1, at 1066 Virginia Avenue, Indianapolis, IN 46203.