Every year the Latino Cultural Center (LCC) celebrates Día de los Muertos with a festival.

Día de los Muertos is a longstanding Latin American tradition where people honor their loved ones who have passed away.

The tradition has indigenous roots. People decorate altars with items that remind them of their loved ones and with items that will help their loved ones continue on their journey in the afterlife.

Latino Cultural Center Día de los Muertos Festival. 2017. Photo by Claudio Rodriguez.

Día de los Muertos is a celebration of life and is not meant to be scary or spooky. The tradition continues to grow in the United States in its Latino population, said Benjamin Espino.

Espino is the general manager of the Latino Cultural Center.

Altar or “ofrenda” Latino Cultural Center Día de los Muertos Festival. 2017. Photo by Claudio Rodriguez.

“We saw this with obviously with Disney Pixar’s movie celebrating Día de los Muertos, Coco, and also we have all seen how some of that lore and history and tradition have really passed on in the United States. As someone who identifies as Latino in the United States, I think it’s really beautiful to see our traditions continue to grow and evolve.”

Due to the pandemic, this year’s 16th celebration will be a socially distanced one and in accordance with Dallas County guidelines.

Aztec dance performers at LCC Día de los Muertos Festival. 2017. Photo by Claudio Rodriguez.

The festival will be held in the outdoor plaza of the Latino Cultural Center on Friday, October 30, from 6 to 9 pm.

The center was still able to put the call out to local artists for their altar submissions. Only 12 community altars, or ofrendas, will be on view this year and placed at safe and appropriate distances from each other.

An Aztec dance performance is scheduled for 8 p.m.

There will be a few vendors on site offering traditional Mexican arts and crafts but no food.

Vendors at LCC Día de los Muertos Festival. 2017. Photo by Claudio Rodriguez.

The biggest and most obvious difference will be the number of guests. To ensure reduce capacity this will be a ticketed event with a limited number of tickets available.

Tickets are free and open to the public but reservations must be made in advance by going to the Latino Cultural Center’s Facebook page.

Check out other Día de los Muertos events and fall festivals on Art&Seek.

Got a tip? Email Gila Espinoza at gespinoza@kera.org. You can follow her on Twitter @espinoza_kera.

Art&Seek is made possible through the generosity of our members. If you find this reporting valuable, consider making a tax-deductible gift today. Thank you.