Las Vegas restaurant deals for Day of the Dead

To quote Border Grill: "Let your kids have all the candy; you have the margaritas."

The occasion is Day of the Dead, or Dia de Muertos, which is celebrated as a public holiday in Mexico. Originally an early-summer holiday, it was moved after Spanish colonization to Oct. 31-Nov. 2 to coincide with Roman Catholic observances surrounding All Saints' Day on Nov. 1. The reason remains the same — to honor dead loved ones with private altars and visits to their grave sites with food and drink, sugar skulls and marigolds. And since Las Vegans rarely miss a festive opportunity, you can be sure Day of the Dead will be observed here.

Border Grill enters the picture because the company's two Las Vegas restaurants will celebrate from Friday through Nov. 6. The newer location at The Forum Shops at Caesars, 3500 Las Vegas Blvd. South, will serve a special menu at lunch and dinner with appetizers such as pumpkin ceviche ($15, and pictured above) and chicken tinga tostaditas ($10), entrees of pork mole verde ($24) and seafood enchiladas ($28) and a duo of coconut and roasted yam flans ($10) for dessert, as well as margaritas that include blueberry-ginger and raspberry-peach.

Border Grill at Mandalay Bay, 3950 Las Vegas Blvd. South, will offer special dishes at dinner only. They'll include a crab and avocado roll ($16) or Life and Death Crudo ($14) to start, entrees of roasted duck breast ($32) and garlic shrimp ($29) and chocolate cake with malted meringue for dessert ($11), plus a blood-orange-cayenne margarita and white autumn sangria.

Mi Casa Grill Cantina at the Silverton, 3333 Blue Diamond Road, will offer a combo of a Mexican pastry and Mexican Coffee cocktail for $7, and the Purple Paloma cocktail (tequila, Squirt, grape juice and a garnish of black lava salt), also $7, on Sunday.

A celebration is planned for 2 to 7 p.m. Sunday at the Downtown Container Park, 707 Fremont St. The day will include a $2 taco special at Pinches Tacos, a "Book of Life" viewing at 5 p.m., plus face painting and arts and crafts.

The 15th annual Life in Death Festival at Winchester Cultural Center and Park, 3130 S. McLeod Drive, on Sunday and Monday will include food, crafts, folkloric dance performances and more; it's 5 to 9 p.m. both days and admission is free.

And the celebration from 4 to 9 p.m. Nov. 6-8 at the Springs Preserve, 333 S. Valley View Blvd., will include live theater and dance performances, music, sugar skull decorating, face painting and an art exhibition. Admission is $8 for adults and $5 for kids 5-12 in advance and $10 for adults or $6 for kids 5-12 at the gate. Advance tickets can be purchased at springspreserve.org or Mariana's Supermarkets.

Contact Heidi Knapp Rinella at Hrinella@reviewjournal.com. Find more of her stories at www.reviewjournal.com, and follow @HKRinella on Twitter.