How the dead brought downtown Modesto to life on Saturday

Tenth Street Plaza was filled with music, colorful dress, dance and happily painted skulls Saturday, all in celebration of the dead.

Dia de Los Muertos – Day of the Dead – was marked with daylong festive, family friendly events in downtown Modesto, presented for the second year by the American GI Forum, a veterans organization with a chapter in the city.

Music filled the air as the community was invited to join in the traditional Mexican holiday that remembers departed loved ones every year. Music, food, dancers, altars and activities for children were offered during the free event.

Children and adults roamed the plaza with faces painted to resemble ornately decorated skulls – a traditional symbol of Dia de Los Muertos, often embellished with flowers and other decorative designs.

A procession also was held to honor the dead Saturday evening downtown followed by a performance by Ballet Folklorico Anahuac.

This story was originally published October 21, 2017 at 4:55 PM with the headline "How the dead brought downtown Modesto to life on Saturday."