Combine a sense of one’s own mortality with a sense of missing loved ones who have died, then add colorful costumes, floats and food and you will have a recipe for the Central Avenue Day of the Dead celebration on Saturday, Nov. 3.
The festival begins at 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 3, on Central Avenue, and ends with a parade at 6 p.m. from 6th to 16th Street on Central Avenue, said Edgar Galicia, executive director of the Central Avenue Betterment Association. There is no admission charge, and refreshments will be available for purchase. There will also be face-painting at the event.
The cultural significance of the event, Galicia said, is to celebrate the memory of loved ones.
“Legend says that as long as our loved ones are in our memory, they’re still alive,” he said.
Altars are created to commemorate deceased loved ones. The Day of the Dead generally coincides with the Halloween, All Saints Day and All Souls Day celebrations.
Ten volunteers on Saturday will dress up in colorful costumes as catrinas, Galicia said. They portray skeletons and represent the idea that everyone, rich and poor, will end up the same at the end of their lives, he said.
Live music will begin at 4 p.m. on three stages on Central Avenue, he said. Then at 5 p.m., music from the movie “Coco” will be presented on one of the stages.
The Kansas City, Kansas, Public Schools mariachi band will stroll through the sidewalks on Central Avenue, playing music during the event, Galicia said.
The parade will begin at 6 p.m. Events will close after the parade is over. The parade has grown from 12 floats last year to 35 floats this year, he said. Artist groups are making very creative floats this year, he added.
Many kinds of food will be available for purchase, such as tamales, Mexican snacks, veggie tamales, sweet pumpkin pies and street tacos, he said. There will be no alcohol on the streets, he said, but hot chocolate will be available for purchase.
Last year, the Day of the Dead celebration went very well, with close to 5,000 visitors, Galicia said. There were 10 to 12 vendors with about 12 floats in the parade and 25 volunteers. This year, there are about 35 vendors, close to 35 floats and about 80 volunteers, he said.
He hopes to have an attendance of 8,000 people, he added. The festival is for everyone. He said he wants people to engage with each other, and there will be people there from many ethnic backgrounds who are attending and participating in the event.
The event will be held rain or shine, he said.
To see photos by Brian Turrel of last year’s Central Avenue Day of the Dead Parade, visit https://wyandotteonline.com/scenes-from-the-central-avenue-day-of-the-dead-parade/.