OXNARD — OPAC will put an inclusive spin on its annual Dia de Muertos Celebration which will be held this year on Friday, November 5th from 5 to 10 pm at the Oxnard Performing Arts & Convention Center. Co-curating this year’s festivities is a new art collective, Oxnard Art Studio.
“We’re thrilled to partner up with OPAC on what may be the first Filipina/x/o and Chicana/x/o organized Dia De Muertos or Araw Ng Mga Patay in Oxnard. We’re excited to bring many emerging artists and cultural traditions to the festivities, including paying homage to the Filipino tradition. We love to see more endeavors of intercultural unity within our community!,” reflects the collective’s John del Rosario.
Araw Ng Mga Patay is a significant Filipino holiday during which people pay homage to their deceased family members and loved ones by visiting their burial sites and making offerings such as food, flowers and prayers. Many practices of Araw Ng Mga Patay predate Spain’s 16th-century colonization of the Philippines.
Alongside Filipinx performers, community altars and artists, OPAC’s Dia de Muertos will also have an Aztec blessing and ceremonial dancing, ballet folklorico, mariachis, cinematic presentations, DJs, arts and crafts activities, poets, food trucks, exhibiting artists, vendors of all kinds, and photo booths. After 8:30 pm, the evening will turn boisterous with live performances by local bands Los So Lows, Los Honeys, Los Pink Droids, and a headlining set from The Gritty End, a Los Angeles-based ska band.
Guests will also be able to take selfies with 10 life-size paper mache calaveras made by local artists commissioned by OPAC. “We’re calling this the #CalaveraCrawl. The skeletons will be on view all week across downtown Oxnard at participating locations and then will rattle their way to Friday’s festivities. We hope to make this an annual tradition!,” says Carolyn Merino Mullin, OPAC’s Executive Director.
This year’s event is made possible thanks to Montecito Bank & Trust, The Port of Hueneme, Union Bank, and Downtown Oxnard. Funding has been provided by California Humanities and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) as part of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.
2021 Dia de Muertos Celebration
Friday, Nov. 5 from 5-10 pm
@ Oxnard Performing Arts & Convention Center | 800 Hobson Way, Oxnard, CA 93030
oxnardperformingarts.com | diademuertosoxnard.com
The event is free and open to the public. Attendees must wear masks and follow OPAC’s COVID-19 safety protocols.