Día de Muertos Altar and Celebration at Flatiron North Plaza

The Flatiron NoMad Partnership is holding its fifth annual Día de Muertos celebration at Flatiron North Plaza, at 23rd Street and Broadway. Every activation is free, and no tickets are required.

The centerpiece is a community altar called Twenty Petal Flower, created by Mestiz Studio, founded by Daniel Valero in San Miguel de Allende, together with Brooklyn's Powerhouse Arts. The title comes from the Nahuatl word cempōhualxōchitl, the marigold. The piece honors the workers who grow and harvest the flower in Michoacán and the hands that turn it into garlands and offerings. Oversized woven floral forms rise across a tiered altar lit by warm, candle-like light, and visitors can leave remembrances of their own. The altar is on view from October 26 through November 3.

The main event runs Wednesday, October 28, from 3 to 7 p.m. Calpulli Mexican Dance Company performs Mexican folklore, and the New York collective Son Pecadores plays live music. There is La Catrina face painting and skull decorating, plus hands-on activities with Mano a Mano (flower making), Center for Book Arts (booklet making) and Poster House (printmaking and paper marigolds).

Nearby, a papel picado installation by Tanya Aguiñiga Studio brightens Flatiron South Plaza through November 3. The district is also home to many Mexican-owned restaurants and shops, which makes it easy to pair a visit with a meal.