GALLERY | Hundreds of community members gathered to celebrate life and death during Dia de los Muertos
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IDAHO FALLS — Hundreds of community members gathered over the weekend to celebrate and remember the lives of past loved ones with one another in two Dia de Los Muertos celebrations.
Hosted by separate entities, on Saturday, The Greater Idaho Falls Chamber of Commerce hosted, through its Hispanic Chamber Committee. The Day of the Dead celebration took place at the Westbank event center, which included food, dances, raffles and a room dedicated to an altar with photos of relatives.
Part of the celebration included dances from a Rexburg group called, Baile Folklórico or Dance Folklore, which had children dancing Hispanic and Latino dances.
Saturday’s event also hosted many local food trucks and restaurants selling lemonade, churros and mixed drinks for those of age.
On Sunday, Calakas Tacos & Miches hosted it’s Day of the Dead celebration with free pan de muertos, music, food and vendors. Co-owner of Calakas, Liliana Sanchez was dressed up as a Catrina, a traditional Mexican skeletal figures that symbolize Dia de Los Muertos, welcoming guests.
The altar was decorated with dozens of photos of passed loved ones with community members looking to find their relatives among the crowd. Water, pan de muertos and other items were placed among the photos with the top photo being of Sanchez youngest son who died as an infant.
Opening the celebration, Dance Azteca Quetzalcoatl performed to welcome the dead relatives to the celebration and showcase their heritage in their dancing.
