A year after being canceled amid fear generated by pervasive immigration enforcement raids, a Dia de los Muertos Festival is back in Oak Park — and the free event is bigger than ever, organizers said.
There will be colorful ofrendas honoring ancestors, entertainment, food, vendors, resources, and more from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 1 at Scoville Park, 800 Lake St.
Founded in 2020 by Oak Park resident Alma Martinez, the event had a simple beginning during the pandemic. “We started by me reaching out to the community,” Martinez said. She told people, “We are all going through the midst of something terrible. We’re losing our loved ones. We’re not able to connect.”
The solution was for people to create ofrendas, which are decorated altars, to honor the departed for the Dia de los Muertos.
“I invited the schools, the Oak Park Public Library, and other organizations to participate,” Martinez said. “The first year we got about 65 participants.” Ofrendas were placed outside businesses and schools as well as other locations.
Martinez received permission to close her street and had an Aztec dance group perform there.
The event grew each year with the addition of a variety of performers, face painting, sugar skulls, food, vendors market, resources and more.
“Last year, sadly we had to cancel,” Martinez said. Amid intensive federal immigration enforcement, people might have been afraid to attend. “Raids were happening right outside our backyards,” she explained. “Some people did not leave their homes for three months.”
But now, Martinez said, “I think the community is ready to celebrate again. The community is asking to get together to honor our ancestors.”
That celebration will include an entertainment lineup chosen by Jaime Garza, a member of the event planning committee who works as a program coordinator for the Oak Park Area Arts Council.
The lineup includes Calpulli, an Aztec dance group from Berwyn led by Rosa Gaytan. “They’ve been around for maybe 20 years, Garza said. “They do ceremonial dance which is both very beautiful to look at and also very spiritual. They thank the sun; they thank the moon. I thought it was appropriate for them to be at this celebration.”
Changosnakedog is an interactive rock group led by Otto Anzures with puppets that are musicians. “It’s made for kids and adults,” Garza said. “Each puppet has its own story. They explore different cities, different countries. It’s a bilingual act. They have sing-alongs, too.”
“We also have a dance performance,” Garza said. The dancers are from the Comparsa de Morelos la Original.
“They have kids from as young as eight years old to older adults up in the 60s and 70s,” Garza said. “They’re dressed in very exotic costumes with masks. They bring people up from the audience to be part of the dance.”
There will also be a performance by one of the first all-female mariachi bands in Chicago, Mariachi Sirenas. Garza described the group as “very powerful.”
The emcee is Victor M. Montanez, who is an educator, artist, and activist. “He makes it interactive, interesting and funny,” Garza said. “He will be tying every group together.”
Garza said the event “is a great opportunity to have this range of musicians and performers come together for a great outdoor celebration.”
Martinez said that Jaime Garza “is such a great asset for the Dia de los Muertos committee because he has so much background in music and culture.” Garza is being honored at the event with a Community Appreciation Award “because he does so much,” Martinez added.
Martinez works long hours putting the event together even though she is busy as owner of an Oak Park business, Quetzali Child Care, LLC.
In addition to entertainment, there will be food vendors from local Mexican restaurants, showcases of local artists, resources for the Hispanic community, a parade and more.
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And, of course, there will be ofrendas throughout the community — 24 this year. Martinez has created a pamphlet with the locations of all of the ofrendas and facts about each one, including who they are honoring and the meaning of each ofrenda.
Oak Park resident Nora Sanchez, the Latina Language and Culture librarian at the Oak Park Public Library, has been involved with the event since it began.
“We create a community ofrenda at the Oak Park Public Library,” Sanchez said. “There’s a group of staff members that come together to create it.” This year, it is located in the lobby where all visitors can see it when they enter the library.
Sanchez believes the Oak Park Dia de los Muertos Festival serves an important function. She said it “provides an opportunity for the community members to come together.”
“Everyone experiences grief. Everyone experiences loss. Many cultures around the world have different ways of celebrating it. I think it’s a good opportunity for people to come together and celebrate life and also provide a space for loss,” Sanchez said.
Myrna Petlicki is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.