At the Bronx's NYBG, Giant Monarch Puppets Roam the Children's Adventure Garden Oct. 24–25

Giant monarch butterfly puppets will roam the Everett Children's Adventure Garden at the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx on October 24 and 25, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. both days. The appearance is part of the Garden's Día de los Muertos celebration, new to NYBG this year, and it is included with the All-Garden Pass.

The puppets are by Lucrecia Novoa, an internationally known artist. Her project Mascara Viva uses masks, costumes, storytelling and dance to create large-scale characters that interpret traditions from different cultures. For NYBG she made a towering La Catrina as well as the monarchs, and visitors are invited to stop for photos up close.

The monarch is one of North America's largest and most recognizable butterflies, with orange, black and white wings. Each winter, millions migrate to Southern California and the high mountains of central Mexico, then fly north again in spring to restart the cycle. That makes it a fitting companion to a holiday built around memory and renewal.

The same weekend has more to see. Son Pecadores, a New York collective of jaraneros dedicated to son jarocho, the folk music of Veracruz, plays at the entrance to the Children's Adventure Garden at 11 a.m., noon and 1 p.m. Bronx-based teaching artist Blanka Amezkua leads papel picado and silk flower workshops from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.; participants make silk flowers to wear and take home, plus miniature papel picado banners.

Día de los Muertos runs October 3 through November 2. Marigold blooms and a community ofrenda are the centerpieces, and visitors can add a photograph or written memory to the altar, though food and candles are not permitted. Inside the Children's Adventure Garden, papel picado strung over the paths, a child-sized altar that kids can rearrange, and a bilingual storybook walk adapt the traditions for younger visitors. A parade is set for Sunday, November 1 at 2 p.m., and the trail and the Children's Adventure Garden close at 5 p.m. on November 1 and 2.