Austin's Mexic-Arte Museum is continuing with a long tradition this Día de los Muertos. The 42nd annual Viva La Vida Parade was originally scheduled for October 25, but was canceled due to weather. Instead, the festival portion will be held Saturday, November 1, from 9 am to 3 pm at Republic Square. The museum will also mark the occasion by unveiling a new exhibit called Las Calaveras de la Calle 5; it'll remain at the park for two months.

The festival will feature live performances, Day of the Dead art activities, vendors, and more. Traditional food trucks will be on hand to keep the festivities going.

Several exhibitions bring the spirit of the museum into Republic Square. They include a low-rider exhibition and a pop-up graveyard, plus two prop exhibits that should make up for the missed event: one with a "Viva la Vida" theme, and another featuring mojigangas, or giant parade puppets.

Las Calaveras de la Calle 5 refers to the 5th Street Mexican American Cultural District, a newly state-approved entity that represents a geographical concentration of cultural importance. Six large-scale skull sculptures, or calaveras, will be displayed in the park, each representing a different community that contributes to Austin's identity, according to a press release.

The calaveras were created by Colectivo Última Hora, a group of artists based in Mexico City.

Indigenous - Coahuiltecans, Latine/x, Black, French, Asian, and Chicano. These fiberglass skulls were created by seven Austin artists in collaboration with Mexico City-based artist collective Colectivo Última Hora. Artist bios and insightful community histories are available at mexic-artemuseum.org.

Calaveras and artists:

• Amado Castillo III: Chicano community — This sculpture pays homage to low-rider culture and is "wearing" giant grills with a painted diamond effect.
• Candy Yu Yen Kuo: Asian community — Painted like a tiger, this sculpture looks like it could be worn in a costume for a dance performance.
• Cindy and Ernesto Hernandez: Indigenous peoples/Coahuiltecans — This rainbow-colored skull features wildlife and graphic patterns to create an interwoven pattern.
• Luis Abreux: Black community — With lots of small details, this skull comes to life, portraying Shango, the Yoruba Orisha, or god, of "thunder, lightning, fire, dance, music and virility."
• Luis Angulo: Latine/x community — Most of the other sculptures nod to nature, but this one becomes a beautiful tropical plant.
• Valerie Chaussonnet: French community — Lots of French symbols adorn this calavera, including many desserts, the French Legation, and La Belle, a ship sent on a colonial expedition.

The festival and unveiling of the calaveras are free to attend. RSVP on Eventbrite.