Dia de los Muertos in a drive-through: Here’s what it will look like in Sacramento

As October comes to a close, many in Sacramento prepare for the traditional celebration of Dia de los Muertos, pandemic or not.

Dia de los Muertos will not be quite the same as previous years, but the desire to celebrate rich traditions is maybe greater than ever. The Latino Center of Art & Culture will present El Panteon De Sacramento from Thursday, Oct. 29, through Sunday, Nov. 1.

Some changes have been made to follow official CDC health protocols, but the integrity of the celebration has been reimagined into a drive-through experience.

The 11th annual El Panteon will be held on the Latino Center of Art & Culture grounds and will be free, although donations are welcome. The group will take reservations as a safety measure to ensure even spacing of visitors. All visitors must attend in a vehicle, and those vehicles will be staggered to allow proper time for reflection and enjoyment of the observance.

The grounds are being transformed into a recreation of a candle-lit Mexican graveyard, complete with an adjoining chapel. Though visitors are asked to remain in their cars, many expected elements will still be present, including live traditional music, ballet folklorico, giant puppets, video projection and family ofrendas.

“There’s a lot of symbolism with this very traditional and widely celebrated event in Mexico and now in the Southwest of the United States, and we’re so fortunate to have a site that we can do our drive-through,” said Marie Acosta, executive director of the Latino Center.

The cemetery will feature at least 20 traditional memorials created by families and communities of friends to honor those who have died.

“We will have a visual recreation that our community can enjoy from the privacy of their own cars, so we can keep our traditions alive, share them with our children, and bring our grandparents to join with us in this celebration,” Acosta said.

Dia de los Muertos is a centuries-old Mexican holiday that focuses on remembering ancestors, in a blending of mourning their loss and the celebration of their lives.

“It really has roots in our indigenous legacy of philosophy and belief of life and death as a mirror to one another,” Acosta said. “That death is a continuation of one’s passage through the universe.”

There are many elements to a traditional Dia de los Muertos celebration, including altares or ofrendas the family puts up as memorials to the ones who have died. Families will clean off a grave site, decorate them, and spend Nov. 2 at the site, sharing food, music and stories.

El Panteon de Sacramento is modeled after the celebrations held in Mexico, but particularly in Oaxaca.

To help the departed loved ones know where to go to reach their families, elements are added to the altares or memorials to guide them by scent like marigold flowers for their strong fragrance, incense, and favorite foods. Ancestors will be drawn in visually the bright colors and candles.

“In Mexico, you’ll hear fireworks go off as well to tell them auditorily where they’re supposed to go,” Acosta said. “So the incense they smell where they’re supposed to go with the fragrance, the candles so they can see where they’re going, and fireworks so they can hear where they’re supposed to go.”

Observers might also notice photos of the departed; There will be pan de muerto, a bread only baked on Dia de los Muertos. Sometimes plates or even beds might be made and saved for the departed.

All of the elements are based in a Mexican sensibility of love and humor; it’s truly a celebration.

“However, I must say, I sense that there’s an undertone this year because COVID-19 has been so devastating to our community,” Acosta said.

While the pandemic may not be directly addressed, those planning the event have been keenly aware of its impact. The goal remains to focus on carrying out the tradition in the ways they are able.

“We keep the roots and foundation of our celebration in Mexican traditions,” Acosta said.

If you go

To register for the drive-through remembrance, use the Eventbrite link at www.thelatinocenter.com. Those interested in adding a memorial to El Panteon should email larazagaleria@gmail.com.

This story was originally published October 19, 2020 at 10:51 AM.