Local business celebrates Day of the Dead for the first time in Santa Ynez Valley

SANTA YNEZ VALLEY, Calif. - Adriana Reyes is excited to celebrate the Day of the Dead, especially as a native of Santa Ynez Valley.

"It is a day that we remember our lost ones they have moved on," said Reyes. "I think what is going on this year is we have a predominantly large Hispanic population that are in this valley. In Solvang alone, it is 52 percent. So by that I think the valley is embracing different cultures, especially the Hispanic culture."

For the first time, Forage Florals decided to create this altar to celebrate the Day of the Dead.

“Has always wanted to create this beautiful ofrenda … and we wanted to do it to honor our community and give people in our community an opportunity to also honor their past love one," said manager Laura Codan of Forage Florals.

Managers at the floral shop said they plan to continue this cultural tradition for years to come.

"It brings back memories from my hometown and growing up with my parents and it just brings up a lot of emotions ... it is exciting to see that other people are appreciating our culture and are happy to bring it into their lives and bring it into the shops," said customer Luis Gomez of Forage Florals.

Reyes believes this celebration is bringing the community together, more than ever before. 

“Oh it’s a huge breakthrough … like our celebration in Solvang as well as our first ever Hispanic leadership conference …  it’s a huge breakthrough," said Reyes.

"My hope is people don’t shy away from the fact that there is a lot of heritage in this valley brought over by Hispanics," said Gomez.