Día De Los Muertos Celebration Returns to Fullerton College Nov. 2
For more than 26 years now, members of the Fullerton College campus and surrounding community have eagerly looked forward to the annual Día De Los Muertos or Day of the Dead celebration that is held at Fullerton College each year. This vibrant event took a pause during the pandemic, but Fullerton College and the Cadena Cultural Center are thrilled to bring it back this year on November 2.
A Día De Los Muertos celebration is set to take place Nov. 2. from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. at the Fullerton College Quad. The event is free and open to the public. The public can park for free after 4 p.m.
Día De Los Muertos originated in ancient Mesoamerica and is celebrated throughout Mexico and Central America by remembering the dead. Many of the traditions that began at Fullerton College over two decades ago, will once again take stage at this year’s event. The celebration will have free food, music, Aztec and Ballet Folklorico dance performances, and colorful and heartfelt display of ofrendas (altars) created by members of the campus community. There will also be a community altar to allow guests to display a framed or unframed photograph of their loved one.
“We are honored at the opportunity for the Cadena Cultural Center to bring back such an important campus tradition where students and communities from many cultural backgrounds can honor their loved ones through this cultural event,” said Cadena Cultural Center Coordinator Gilberto Valencia. “The celebration will include ofrendas and will bring back popular activities such as face painting, coloring activities, food, and performances. Our Ballet Folklorico performers and our Mehseecah (Azteca) dance group include alumni of Fullerton College.”
Faculty in the Ethnic Studies Department began hosting the festival in the 1990s. The Cadena Cultural Center team will carry the mantle and embraced the opportunity to continue the tradition at Fullerton College.
“The event has had such long-standing traditions with Ethnic Studies, including the support from Ethnic Studies Faculty Emeriti and Co-Founders of FC’s Día De Los Muertos Jerry Padilla and Adela Lopez, along with professor Dr. Amber Gonzalez. We are thankful for their trust and guidance in our center to take over this event,” Valencia said.
One educational piece of the event also collaborates with the Fullerton College Library to educate students and the community about a traditional ofrenda. An ofrenda is on display at the Library until Nov. 2. It features many of the traditional elements including marigolds, photographs, papel picado (colorful perforated paper), and other items with descriptions and meaning behind each item. A digital version of an ofrenda can also be reviewed on the Library website.
Faculty, staff and students also have the opportunity to learn about the history of Día De Los Muertos during a virtual workshop that will be offered with North Orange Continuing Education and Cypress College. The workshop will take place Oct. 25 from 10 – 11:30 a.m. on Zoom and will feature guest speaker and Los Angeles-based multi-media artist Consuelo G. Flores, MFA. Flores is also an educator of Latino culture with an MFA in creative non-fiction from Antioch University. She has written about and lectured on the traditional and contemporary history of the Day of the Dead and will provide information on the significance of the holiday and the Mexican saying of “three deaths.”
“We are excited to welcome back our FC community including alumni and the surrounding Fullerton community to this beloved event that showcases the many wonderful aspects that make Fullerton College a great institution of higher learning,” Valencia said.
The Día De Los Muertos event is free and open to the public. Free parking will be available in the parking structure off of Lemon St. and Fullerton College Drive.
For more information visit the Cadena website.
