Traditional Día De Los Muertos Procession to Return to Downtown Santa Barbara
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) – Día de los Muertos is a traditional time of year for Latinx communities, dating back centuries and generations. Its one of the most meaningful celebrations, and a grand procession in its honor is making its return to Santa Barbara.
Dìa de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a celebration of loved ones lost and remembrance of their legacy and life. In Indigenous communities in Mexico and other Latin countries, it is believed that this is the one time of the year the dead can visit the living.
Every year, celebrations are held throughout the Central Coast – especially where the majority of the community is Latinx people. This weekend a special procession will take place on Santa Barbara's State Street, sponsored by the city's Museum of Contemporary Art.
"Dia de los Muertos is, one of the most meaningful celebration, for Mexico and other Latino communities. Because we celebrate and remember the loved ones that are not here with us anymore and at the same time is to remember that we, we need to celebrate life itself," said Daila Garcia, executive director of the Museum of Contemporary Art.
The event is expected to bring out thousands of Santa Barbarians and others to march in honor of culture and in celebration of life. The procession will make its way down to De La Guerra plaza, and will include traditional music and dance from the Mexican states of Oaxaca and Guerrero.
"I think that when it comes to Latino culture or Latino community, we tend to kinda, you know, uh, kinda encapsule that as if we want, we have one identity. And in reality when we talk about Latino community we need to think more of the whole, you know, Latin countries and their own diversity," said Garcia.
"Example here in Santa Barbara, we have a big number of Latino communities, but within that Latino community is a high percentage of the Mixteco community that lives around in the county as well."
The procession and festivities normally happens annually, but with mass deportations brought on by the Trump administration and heavy Immigration Enforcement activity here on the Central Coast, the event was cancelled last year.
The Santa Barbara Museum of Art will host their Dìa de los Muertos celebration on Sunday, October 25th from 11:00am - 4:00pm, concluding with the procession 3:30pm on the Museum’s Front Terrace.
For more information visit the museum's website.
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