In this season of wicked witches and groovy ghouls, it's sometimes easy to forget this is also a serious time of year to remember and commune with dead relatives and friends. For All Souls' Day, community cultural organization the Social and Public Art Resource Center (SPARC) hosts a Dia de los Muertos ceremony, “Calling the Spirits,” led by UCLA instructor Martha Ramirez-Oropeza — a kind of spiritual roll call in which the dearly departed are invited to come marching back into our lives. Mexican hot chocolate and pan dulce will be served to lure both the dead and the living to this celebration. After the ceremony, classical guitarist/composer Ruben Izquierdo and Quetzalcoatl singer Alfredo Lopez will use the considerable magic powers of music to soothe the aching minds of the bereaved while simultaneously enticing those lost dead souls to return and hang out with us one more time. SPARC headquarters, 685 Venice Blvd., Venice; Wed., Nov. 2, 6:30 p.m.; free, but $10 donation accepted. (310) 822-9560, Ext. 15.

Wed., Nov. 2, 6:30 p.m., 2011

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