San Rafael hosts 35th Dia de los Muertos event
Colorful altars honoring deceased loved ones, as well as Latin American food, music and dance, are part of the annual Dia de Los Muertos celebration in San Rafael’s Canal neighborhood this weekend.
A Latin American tradition, Dia de Los Muertos — or Day of the Dead in English — celebrates the lives of those who have passed. Celebrants believe the spirits of the dead visit Earth once a year in November, traditionally observed on the first two days of the month.
San Rafael’s 35th annual community celebration is from 3 to 9 p.m. Saturday at the Albert J. Boro Community Center. The Multicultural Center of Marin is the lead sponsor of the event.
“It’s important to keep the traditions alive for many reasons,” said Karina Ramirez-Cortez, arts and culture coordinator at the Multicultural Center. Ramirez-Cortez is serving as chairperson of the event for the first time after participating for the past five years.
“For many families, it’s hard enough adjusting to being in a foreign country, and it’s comforting for the community to feel connected to their roots,” she said.
Ramirez-Cortez said she worked on bringing in new entertainment to capture participation from youth and teens. She said there will be a children’s story-telling singalong performance by Canta con Arle from 3 to 4 p.m. in the community center’s multipurpose room.
There also will be community dance featuring live music by Area Agresiva, a young up-and-coming Mexican act whose members grew up in the Canal. The band plays from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. in the multipurpose room to close out the night.
There will be other musical acts performing throughout the day. Art workshops for children begin at 3 p.m. Food will be on sale throughout the event.
The procession throughout the neighborhood will be from 6 to 7 p.m. It will end back at the community center, where there will be cultural performances such as Aztec dance and balle folklorico.
Steve Mason, senior supervisor of the Al Boro Center, has been on the organizing committee for 15 years.
The event expanded during the COVID-19 pandemic to include altars at downtown businesses and a car procession through the city. This year’s car procession was Oct. 21.
“It drives up enthusiasm for the main event itself,” Mason said. “This started 35 years ago to highlight the culture in the Canal community. It’s a way to invite the community from the outside to come to the Canal to see how wonderful and vibrant it is.”
One of the main draws is the display of altars celebrating the deceased loved ones.
Zoe Harris, a San Rafael resident and art instructor, said she has celebrated Dia de Los Muertos since the 1970s after receiving a grant to go to Mexico to study the tradition.
“I’ve created an altar every year since,” Harris said.
“The U.S culture tends to shove death under the rug,” Harris said. “This is a beautiful way to adjust to losing someone. You’re really welcoming your ancestors or whoever to come back and celebrate. It’s a really healthy way to do honor death.”
More information is at dayofthedeadsr.org.