Dead are life of the party in annual celebration

The holiday is called Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, but it’s really a celebration of life. “It’s not Halloween. ... It’s not being a zombie. You have lots of vibrant colors,” said Latino Community Roundtable President Maggie Mejia, inviting the community to the downtown procession and party Saturday.

This is the third year for the LCR-hosted celebration, and it has a new venue, a new procession route and an earlier date so as to have more evening sun before daylight saving time ends Nov. 1. From now on, the event will be held on a late-October Saturday, Mejia said. “There are always several other activities on the 1st and 2nd (of November), so this gives us an opportunity to share our culture with more people,” she said.

The route change is to make the procession a bit longer, Mejia said. It will begin at 6 p.m. in St. Stanislaus Catholic Church’s small parking lot on K Street, head east on K, turn right on 10th Street, left on J Street, right on 11th Street, right on I Street and right on Eighth Street to finish at the Red Event Center.

The march is led by Franklin & Downs Funeral Home. “They’ve been wonderful,” Mejia said. “They’ve brought out a hearse and they’ve decorated a coffin just for Day of the Dead, and it will be carried in the procession. We may have to put it on rollers this year – it’s a bit heavy.”

Anyone and everyone is encouraged to join in the free procession, or to enjoy it from the sidewalk. What people wear is up to them, Mejia said, but she offered some guidelines.

A lot of participants have their faces done in Day of the Dead skeletal makeup. Three LCR members will be offering the service Saturday: Erin Milan Salon at 1150 Ninth St., the Paul Mitchell School at 3100 McHenry Ave., and Elizabeth Macias in front of Brenden Theatres. Prices will depend on design, and appointments are necessary; get contact information at www.lcrstan.org/Page_4.html.

Day of the Dead items also are available at party and Halloween shops. “If they want to wear a mask, by all means,” Mejia said.

Wear comfortable walking shoes for the half-mile route, she said, and “we encourage people to bring a photo of a loved one they would like to remember,” and to carry battery-operated candles and colorful flowers such a marigolds. “Anything that will make it very festive, because it is a celebration of life, not mourning the dead.”

The procession also will include Aztec and ballet folklorico dancers, elaborately dressed horsemen and the Impala Car Club.

At the Red Event Center after the procession will be a dinner, entertainment and live auction. There also will be competitions for best costumed participants in an indoor procession, best decorated tables and best altars.

“We have a lot of high schools and youth groups participating in the altars contest,” Mejia said. “It’s exciting because we are teaching our youth not to forget their culture. We would like to sponsor as many of those children to stay and have dinner with us. We’re at 100 now, and if I can get more sponsors, we would like to have 150.”

This story was originally published October 22, 2015 at 9:02 AM with the headline "Dead are life of the party in annual celebration."