The Day of the Dead festival returns to Kalamazoo on Friday, November 2. Organizers say they hope it will teach people about Mexican traditions and culture.
Known in Spanish as el Día de los Muertos, the four-day Mexican holiday remembers the lives of loved ones who’ve died. The festival in Kalamazoo is sponsored by El Concilio Kalamazoo, formerly known as the Hispanic American Council. Sofia Ovalle is El Concilio’s community engagement manager. She says the event, now in its fifth year, is important because it teaches the community about Mexican culture.
“A lot of people have the misconception that the Day of the Dead is all about celebrating the dead and that it’s just very sad and thinking about the dead. But really it’s celebrating the lives of those who we lost, those who we loved, that you know passed away.”
Ovalle says the focus is on what people were like when they were alive.
“I have family members that were really close to me that passed away. So I really enjoy taking just a moment and taking the time to remember them in a happy way.” Ovalle also says the celebration is important for young people in the Hispanic community.
“We see the kids who come from this background and do not know anything about their culture, don’t know what it really is. Don’t have the opportunity to go and celebrate it and go see it somewhere.”
The Day of the Dead Celebration is free and open to the public. It runs from 5:15 to 8:15 p.m. on Friday, November 2, at the Kalamazoo County Expo Center on Lake Street.
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