By Mary Torres, Special to the Star
The Harlingen Arts & Heritage Museum and the Rio Grande Valley Museum Association, 2425 Boxwood St., Harlingen, invite you to visit the Day of the Dead/Dia de Los Muertos altar exhibit currently on display.
These beautiful and unique altars have been created by different families and organizations to remember their family and friends who have passed on. El Dia de Los Muertos is a traditional Mexican celebration that remembers family members, friends and other loved ones who have passed on with special altars that include photographs, foods they enjoyed, activities they participated in and special mementos.
Come see the collection of altars created by local residents as a tribute to the memory of their loved ones, with items that the person enjoyed including photographs, flowers, candles, toys, and other symbolic offerings. The exhibit can be viewed during regular museum hours, Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday, 1 to 4 p.m. The museum is closed on Mondays. Admission is free. For more information visit the museum’s Facebook page or call 956-216-4901.
Katelynn Rentería, a local author has created a virtual event that she will be hosting through the month of October, “The Write Crowd: A Virtual Author Expo.” She created the event in the midst of our current world situation for authors and proponents of literacy to connect with one another and share their stories and insights while staying safe and in a manner where a variety of audiences could be reached. Every Saturday & Sunday in October, she will host two panels of varying genres & topics streamed live via her Facebook Page & YouTube channel: Author, Katelynn Rentería.
The entire event is conducted virtually as guests meet virtually, and each panel is available to the public to watch on Facebook, YouTube, & “The Write Crowd” webpage. As of right now, there are a total of 15 panels & 50 panelists to be showcased throughout the month of October. For more information on “The Write Crowd” visit www.authorkatelynnrenteria.com/the-write-crowd.
The RGV Byliners, a local writers group, and the Harlingen Public Library will host the monthly Poetry Night virtually on October 20 from 6-7:30 p.m. Contact Valley Byliners for ZOOM Link at: https://rgvbylinersocialme.wixsite.com/mysite-1/contact-valley-byliners.
In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, the Harlingen Public Library has been hosting a variety of virtual programs that will continue through October 15. As part of the celebration, the library sponsored a virtual art contest and you can now view the amazing creations submitted by members of our community on the library’s Facebook page. For more information on Hispanic Heritage Month activities and other upcoming library events and programs visit www.harlingenlibrary.org or call 956-216-5800.
The Harlingen Concert Association (HCA) an all-volunteer, non-profit organization committed to enriching the cultural life of the Harlingen area through live performances since the 1930s, has regretfully, announced through its Board of Directors, that it has canceled the 2020-2021 concert season, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes the cancellation of six evening performances at the Harlingen Municipal Auditorium this fall and winter and six educational outreach programs with featured artists at local schools.
HCA already is working on plans for its 2021-22 concert season. HCA season subscribers will receive refunds for the face value of their tickets within the next six weeks. For more information, contact Harlingen Concert Association via email at [email protected] or visit the website, HarlingenConcert.com. The Harlingen Municipal Auditorium box office is closed indefinitely.
A genealogy tip: The Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) https://dp.la/, is an organization comprised of thousands of libraries, archives, and museums across the United States. It’s essentially a portal to discovering their digital holdings. As of June 2020, DPLA has links to more than 37 million images, text files, audio files, and video files. Basically, if it can be digitized, it could end up being accessed through DPLA. This includes photographs, original records, yearbooks, family Bibles, oral interviews, maps, and so much more.
