Mankato's Day of the Dead aims to bring people together

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Arrests, deportations and anti-immigrant rhetoric could cast a pall over this weekend's Old Town Dia de los Muertes festival in Mankato. But the family that started it as a celebration of Latino culture in 2019 says it is now more important than ever to hold events like.

Inside a small studio space on Riverfront Drive, brothers Alex and Justin Ek have been working on artwork they will display at the seventh annual Old Town Day of the Dead festival taking place this Saturday.

The artists show off alebrijes — brightly colored, Mexican folk art sculptures depicting fantastical creatures, which are created using the Mexican art form known as cartonería.