Dia de los Muertos comes to life as Modesto tradition

A Facebook post caught her eye, the festivities snagged her interest. But it was the traditions of the day that brought Janet Aguilar a few moments to spend in spirit with her father, gone these last three years.

“I really like the theme, the day of the dead,” said Aguilar quietly. Asked about her painted face and peasant-style, skeleton-print dress, she laughed. “I’m going to the party after,” she said.

Dia de los Muertos brought love, loss and laughter together Saturday night in downtown Modesto. Tenth Street Plaza bulged during the day with street fair booths, a small stage for young dancers, tables for family meals honoring the departed, and memorial altars.

“They walk amongst us, this day of the dead,” said Alberto Ramirez.

Guadalupe and Beatriz Gutierrez stood by a seven-level altar filled with small frames of family and friends they had lost – some only teens. Among the frames were plates of tamales, yams, candies and beer cans – “their favorite snacks,” said Guadalupe with a grin. “They say we celebrate death – yeah, but you’re really celebrating family. There’s a lot of lost souls out there.”

The day is a Mexican mash-up of indigenous and Spanish traditions to honor the dead, said festival organizer Rebecca Harrington. “It’s just a beautiful way to remember them,” she said. “What it signifies is they are never forgotten.”

The event had been held inside, charging an entry fee, but this year the American GI Forum found sponsors and opened it to the community.

A free movie at Brenden Theatres explained the traditions. A procession led by a Franklin & Downs funeral home hearse brought a parade down Tenth Street, where Aztec Dancers and the Ballet Folkloric performed.

This story was originally published October 29, 2016 at 6:50 PM with the headline "Dia de los Muertos comes to life as Modesto tradition."