By: Fredwill Hernandez
In its 25th year celebration of honoring and remembering the dead through one of Mexico’s oldest traditions, Día de los Muertos (Spanish for Day of the Dead), thousands will flock to Hollywood Forever Cemetery to attend one of the most anticipated family-friendly events of the year in Los Angeles, to be held on Saturday, October 26, 2024.
“After a quarter of a century of vibrant celebrations, Hollywood Forever’s Día de los Muertos returns to its beloved classic configuration of a single-day event, with doors opening at 10 AM PDT,” according to a press release sent out by Criteria Entertainment. “Inviting attendees to immerse themselves in the festivities from dawn to dusk. Step into the mystical world of Tonas and Nahuales—this year’s theme of spiritual guides and guardians central to indigenous Mesoamerican cultures and traditions.”
The brainchild of Tyler Cassidy and Daisy Marquez, along with co-founder Celine Mares, who conceptualized the necessity of incorporating this enigmatic mystical custom to thrive within the realms of the Forever cemetery, has become a yearly tradition due to very meticulously curated events throughout the day!
What has made the Día de los Muertos celebration different and special compared to other Latin music festivals, in my opinion, are the vibrant traditional processions in the home of Hollywood’s Immortals, featuring traditional Aztec blessings and Regional Musical-Dance group dedications, over one hundred altars created by members of the community in honor of their ancestors and loved ones, hundreds of Aztec ritual dancers in full costume, five stages featuring music and theatrical performances, an art exhibition in the Cathedral Mausoleum showcasing the work of the artist of the year and 15 additional artists, a costume contest for the best-dressed with a $1,000 prize for 1st place and $500 for 2nd place, a children’s area with arts & crafts, puppet shows, and more, arts and crafts vendors, food vendors from around Los Angeles, and also a presentation of altar winners in which the judges selected the best altar in the following categories: Theme of Event, Traditional Altar, Contemporary Altar—the best of each category winning $5,000.
“Día de los Muertos: we knew what it was as children, and we always had a small altar at home to keep our departed close to us. We started attending Día de los Muertos at Hollywood Forever and doing the altar thing about nine years ago and just went all in, gung-ho,” eloquently explained Brenda Hernandez, who was wearing a dress inspired by and worn during Las Amarillas Dance of Guanajuato, Mexico, which she custom-designed as a combination of Las Amarillas with her own touch of multiple flowers.
The yearly event also boasts a great lineup of Latin acts, and this year will be no different. The likes of Pedro Fernández, Los Lobos, duo Reyna Tropical, Ambar Lucid, El Santo Golpe, and Tania Libertad will undoubtedly catch your attention and make the day memorable.
“Día de los Muertos: It means everything to me. It’s a really special time of year for me because I feel the veil is open. I feel I am visited by my deceased loved ones; they come in my dreams, they are helping me—guiding me through different things. I feel so blessed to have that guidance, that proximity to them in this moment. But to have a celebration that is so culturally based is really important because it gives Latinos, especially Mexicans (Chicanos), the second generation—brown kids here in the United States—an opportunity to really delve into and celebrate their roots and to connect with each other. So to see it so large and so beautiful, it’s a movement: it’s really important,” eloquently expressed La Doña to The Hollywood 360 after her electrifying performance five years ago during Hollywood Forever’s Día de los Muertos celebration held that year on Saturday, November 2, 2019.