By ELIZABETH ARAKELIAN UC Merced Communications Death is a part of life, a loss surrounded typically by mourning and grief. But what if the passing of a loved one were also a transition to be celebrated? That is the sentiment behind Dia de los Muertos, or “Day of the Dead,” in Mexican culture. The Nov. 2 holiday…

Just in time for Halloween, the cult classic musical “The Rocky Horror Show” will be live on stage starting this week at The Merced Theatre. A…

The Carnegie Arts Center is opening two new exhibitions in the Lobby Galleries this week that amplify and explore the idea of heroism. The exhibitions will…

Playhouse Merced’s production of “Heathers:  The Musical”, directed and choreographed by Artistic Director Alyse Neubert, presents the out of control aspect of the dynamics of student relationships at the high school level in an authentic way, leaving the audience with a lot to think about regarding current issues such as teen suicide and…

Marking the 11th year of bringing artwork and performances to Main Street, the quarterly Merced Art Hop is poised for yet another Fall edition…

An array of colorful quilts decorated Forist Lane in Merced as the Gateway Quilters’ Guild celebrated its biennial quilt show “Quilts Along Forist…

Merced ShakespeareFest has brought a truly unique production to its annual series at the Merced Open Air Theater in Applegate Park. This year a modern version of the bard’s Comedy of Errors is set in outer space — as in, like, beyond Earth. On stage, the space station Ephesus finds itself locked in a war with the nearby rogue…

After attending the opening season performance of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at Playhouse Merced, we realized, once again, how much talent…

From its beginnings in March 1985, the Gateway Quilters’ Guild has been a magnet for creative quilters in Merced County. The guild presents a biennial…