Overview:
Two art making workshops and one day full of tradition, music and celebration all free for the community
Free events centered around Dia de Los Muertos are coming to MacArthur Park where people can celebrate the memory of their loved ones.
Music, Arts & Community Los Angeles (MAC·LA) kicked off the holiday by hosting two hands-on art making workshops led by artist Marelené Nancy Lopez this past Sunday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and this Monday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the MacArthur Park Bandshell.
Lopez will be gathering art and stories from residents that will be part of a large canvas mural and also a part of the community altar that’s going to be built for their main “Dia de Los Muertos” event on November 1st.
“This is free and open to all ages, and a wonderful way for people to embrace the diverse cultures of the Westlake community,” said Allegra Padilla, executive director of MAC·LA.
Since 2007, MAC·LA, formerly known as the Levitt Pavilion Los Angeles (Levitt LA), has turned the MacArthur Park Bandshell into a space for concerts in the summer and community events.
The Dia de Los Muertos event on November 1st will start at 3:30 p.m. with a procession on Alvarado and Sixth streets led by the Project for the Arts and Dreams of Indigenous Oaxacan Heritage (PADIOXH) in collaboration with the Westlake Theater Community Alliance.
According to the PADIOXH website, the non-profit is on a mission to save and share the vibrant culture of Oaxacan communities in Mexico and the US through a mix of educational programs like dance, artisan workshops, traditional cuisine, and indigenous language courses.
The Westlake Theater Community Alliance is a nonprofit organization with the goal of turning the Westlake Theatre into a community space for the arts, events, spaces for vendors and more.
The group will arrive at the park at 4 p.m. to kick off the event and there will be an opening prayer and ceremony with local indigenous leaders.
Although primarily associated with Mexico, Dia de Los Muertos is a holiday that’s also celebrated in different central and south american countries where families welcome back the souls of loved ones that have passed away in a celebration that includes altars, prayer and traditional food and drink.
The theme for this year’s event at MacArthur Park is “Ancestral Protection”, according to MAC·LA.
The event will include dance performances, a fashion show, music, community organizations hosting resource booths and there will be a community altar that people can participate in.
The event organizers encourage rideshare, carpooling, walking, biking, and public transportation whenever possible.
