Redwood City brings Day of the Dead to life  

“My parents always taught me the importance of not only honoring our ancestors who have passed but taking this opportunity to really connect with them,” Rivera said.

Last year, Rivera lost her grandmother, to whom she was the closest. So, this year, on their altar, they placed a photo of her and her favorite foods and drinks.

“We’ll play her favorite songs, knowing that she’s there dancing with me or celebrating my birthday because it’s the day after,” Rivera said. “Getting to feel her presence with me at least one more time, even if it’s just for a little bit, is the best feeling in the world. There’s nothing like it.”

Rivera not only celebrates the holiday at home but also within the community at Casa Círculo Cultural, a grassroots organization dedicated to bilingual arts, culture and education. It provides a variety of different classes, such as dance, music, art, martial arts, cooking and gardening.    

At the age of 5, Rivera attended her very first Dia de los Muertos event in downtown Redwood City. Now, at 18, she will serve as the emcee for this upcoming event.  

“Getting to be able to be the one explaining not only the importance but the significance of this event to our city is something that I’ll never forget,” Rivera said. “It truly makes me feel like I’ve really made it. Like I’ve grown in this program.”

For Rivera, Casa Círculo Cultural feels like a second home and family with an opportunity to connect more with her Hispanic heritage, because of its founder and executive director, Veronica Escamez.

“I’m Mexican, and as an immigrant. I noticed that you leave a lot of your traditions and things that you do in your country when you live here,” Escamez said. “Day of the Dead is a very special celebration because it’s not like Halloween. It’s not celebrating the dead. It’s celebrating the life of the people that are not with us anymore.”

This is Casa Círculo Cultural’s 13th year of having this event in collaboration with the San Mateo County History Museum and the Parks and Arts Foundation. It takes them around three to four months to prepare the theme, performances, wardrobe and art pieces.

The inspiration for this year’s event is Diego Rivera’s 50-foot mural “Dream of a Sunday Afternoon in Alameda Park” located in Mexico City. The mural illustrates Mexican history with prominent figures like La Catrina, a female skeleton symbolizing death and Frida Kahlo.

“We are going to try to give life to the mural with our people,” Escamez said. “We are going to have most of the characters represented.”

Escartiz Studio has made the props for the event every year. This year, they made a 16-foot tall Catrina and Diego sculpture that mirrors the mural. They also made many skeletons out of papier-mâché and all the other art pieces that will be featured in the event.

“My idea with art is for people to feel immersed into the theme of the event,” Fernando Escartiz, founder of Escartiz Studio and son of Escamez, said. “This year, it will be as if people will be stepping into the painting.”

This event will be 3:30-8:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 3, in front of the San Mateo County History Museum, Courthouse Square, which will be decorated with sugar skulls, marigolds and lights. The museum will be having free admission from 4-8 p.m. and will host a kids’ crafting event where they can decorate their skulls, make paper flowers or papel picado in the rotunda that same day.

The History Museum will also have a Festival of Altars where people can have altars displayed, saluting family members who have passed. The altars will be displayed through Friday, Nov. 8. Contact alters@casacirculocultural.org if you’re interested in having an altar.