Lincoln Students Mark Día de los Muertos on Union Plaza
The University Program Council and Mexican-American Students Association hosted a Día de los Muertos event on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln campus.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Seasonal Events
The University Program Council and Mexican-American Students Association held a Día de los Muertos event on Union Plaza on a Wednesday night. The event offered sugar skull crafting, picture frame and flower pot painting, marigold flower crowns, and a lotería game similar to bingo.
Why it matters
The event gave students a space to reflect on the dead and celebrate the holiday, and it marked the first year the two student groups collaborated on a Día de los Muertos event. It offers a campus-based way for Lincoln residents to observe a holiday that honors those who have passed.
The celebration is tied to the Nov. 1 and 2 dates of the holiday in Mexico, and this was the first co-hosted event between the two student groups. Attendance numbers for the Union Plaza event were not provided.
The players
University Program Council
The University Program Council is the student-run programming body at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln that organizes campus events.
Mexican-American Students Association
The Mexican-American Students Association is a student organization at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln focused on cultural programming and community for Mexican-American students.
The details
Stations included sugar skull decorating and picture frame painting, while marigolds were available for flower crowns and flower pot painting. A lotería game, similar to bingo, rounded out the programming on the plaza.
Timeline
Nov. 1 and 2: Día de los Muertos is traditionally observed in Mexico.
Wednesday night (Nov. 4, 2026): UPC and MASA hold the event on Union Plaza.
Seasonal Patterns
Campus-hosted Día de los Muertos programming has become a recurring fall event at U.S. universities, and this Lincoln event follows that pattern of student groups bringing the November holiday to public spaces. The collaboration between UPC and MASA marks a first for that partnership on Union Plaza.
The event was open to students and community members gathering on Union Plaza, with crafting stations, marigolds, and a lotería game available during the evening. Participants could take part in the activities without advance registration reported in the source.
The takeaway
Campus cultural events like this one give students a structured way to observe traditions that might otherwise be practiced only at home. Readers interested in similar programming can look for student-organized celebrations at their own local universities.
Further reading
Explore more seasonal events coverage in Lincoln.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Daily Nebraskan.
