Margaret Contreras
Editor-in-Chief
A Dia De Los Muertos celebration was held on Oct. 11 in the Claremont Village at Shelton Park on Harvard Avenue.
The event had live music from Mariachi Herencia Michoacana.
Altars to honor the dead were placed around the park with a total of eight. On the altars were the ofrendas, the English translation is offerings, with items they liked or enjoyed while they were alive.
“We have members that have passed in the last 15 years,” Conrad Nicoll, Claremont Kiwanis Club member, said. “After a friend of mine passed away, his wife wanted to get involved in the community. So my wife and I joined her and found the Kiwanis club.”
In Hispanic culture, people would visit the grave of the person or persons that have passed away. They would leave offerings ranging anywhere from their favorite meal, drink or even albums of their favorite singer or band. In the cemeteries they would eat at the grave site to celebrate the Day of the Dead.
Families sat around the park with their altar in front of them, listening to music. Once the band stopped playing there was DJ Rodeo. There was face painting and photo opportunities with photo stand-ins. Kids got their faces painted as a calavera in honor of the celebration.
On the grass on Shelton Park there were two dance groups that performed, Ballet Folklorico Alma Mexicana and Aztec dancers Copali Copili. The Aztec Dancers wore authentic Aztec garments and danced barefoot.
“The city has been doing this event for years,” Amy Arnold, Claremont Farmers Market manager, said. “This is the first time we are doing it. We want to bring in more culture to the community.”
On Bonita Avenue to 2nd Street was the street fair for the celebration. The Claremont Farmers Market put the event together. They had a table with information about the celebration and upcoming events guests in the city.
Guests were given the option to purchase a raffle ticket for $2 and be entered to win a prize.
“Each vendor donated an item to be raffled off,” Arnold said.
The street fair had multiple Hispanic foods including pupusas, tacos and tamales. There was a vendor selling different flavors of agua frescas. The non-food vendors were selling items that range from jewelry to clothes to small trinkets.
“This is my third year coming to this event,” Artesanías del Corazón owner Eugenia Colon said. “I found this celebration through the city’s Instagram profile and then I was invited.”
Towards 2nd Street there was another live band playing music, face painting and three more photo stand-ins. Local author Annette Chavez Macias talked to people who stopped and inquired about her books she had for sale on her table.
“These are stories from the point of view of a large American Mexican family,” Macias said. “Diffrent things happen and how we deal with them is different. I was invited last year to come and found the promotion for the event on Instagram.”
Dia De Los Muertos, also known as Day of the Dead, is originally celebrated on Nov. 1 and 2. Across Latin America, there are festivals and parades commemorating the holiday. It is a day to remember those who have passed away and honor the life they have lived.
Margaret Contreras can be reached at margaret.contreras@laverne.edu.
Magaret Contreras is a senior communications major with a concentration in public relations. She is editorial director and LV Life editor of the Campus Times and previously worked as editor-in-chief and a staff writer.
Amore Mason is a junior photography major with a marketing minor, and a staff photographer for the Campus Times and La Verne Magazine.
