Lifestyle

El Paso Celebrates Dia Los Muertos in Grand, Ghostly Style

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Tony Maples Photography

 

El Paso’s closest neighbors are just across the Mexican border in Juarez. With its strong Hispanic and Latino heritage, it’s not surprising that El Paso goes all out to celebrate Dia Los Muertos (Day of the Dead). Nearly everyone in the sixth-largest city in Texas turns out to watch colorful parades and take part in special events on November 2.

A city of diverse cultures, El Paso is also one of the oldest cities in Texas. The first bridge crossing the Rio Grande at El Paso del Norte was built over 250 years ago. Our Lady of Guadalupe Mission of El Paso del Norte, established in 1659, helped the village of El Paso del Norte grow. And years before American Pilgrims’ first Thanksgiving, early Spanish explorer Don Juan de Onate held Thanksgiving Mass in 1598.

El Paso Celebrates Dia Los Muertos in Grand, Ghostly Style

Photo: Courtesy MCAD

The Downtown Arts District celebrates Dia Los Muertes from 2-9 p.m. November 2. Free hands-on activities, music, and artisan vendors will be located throughout the Arts District. Colectivo Ultima Hora, a renowned artist collective from Mexico City, adds color and splendor to the event. The highlight of the day is the Desfile de Alebrijes Parade, followed by evening concerts in the Arts Festival Plaza.

Dia Los Muertos activities are presented by the El Paso Museum of Art, the El Paso Museum of History, the Downtown Art and Farmers Market, and the Mexican American Cultural Center.

Concordia Cemetery Observes Dia Los Muertos

El Paso Celebrates Dia Los Muertos in Grand, Ghostly Style

Photo: Courtesy MCAD

Dia Los Muertos will also be celebrated at Concordia Cemetery on November 2. The Texas State Historical Cemetery invites revelers to come dressed in vintage Mexican clothing and to paint their faces with calaveras (skulls). The festivities feature decorated graves, face painting, live music, and local vendors. Arts and crafts, ceremonial offerings, and poetry readings are also planned.

Performances by Aztec dancers, matachines, and mariachis highlight the day’s entertainment. Ten-foot tall Mojiganga skeletons roam the cemetery during Dia Los Muertos at Concordia Cemetery. Admission is $5 for adults, with children under six free. Proceeds benefit Concordia Heritage Association, a volunteer non-profit organization that maintains, preserves, and secures Historic Concordia Cemetery.

Roadside Altars 

El Paso Celebrates Dia Los Muertos in Grand, Ghostly Style

Photo: Jo Ann Holt

My husband and I visited El Paso a few years ago, starting the week before Dia Los Muertes. We loved the way local restaurants, hotels, and other businesses joined into the spirit of the traditional Mexican holiday. Starting before Halloween, Day of the Dead decorations seem to spring up everywhere.

El Paso isn’t the only place in Texas that celebrates the holiday. As we drove from El Paso to Big Bend National Park, 300 miles away, we passed several beautifully decorated roadside altars. These altars appeared unexpectedly, as if by magic, in remote areas on our route. No surprise, though, to find an altar exactly where it seemed to belong—in the legendary Ghost Town of Terlingua!