The Dallas Día de Los Muertos parade and festival were held on Saturday at City Hall and drew a crowd of thousands eager to celebrate. Around 40,000 guests had been expected to attend, NBC 5 reported.
Now in its third year, the annual parade’s mission is to honor loved ones and celebrate the living, according to the Eventbrite page.
It is a tradition open to all, as its page shares:
“No matter who you are, no matter where you are from, we want you to attend the parade and festival. If there is something we all share [it] is the love and grief for our family and friends who left us, and in this Día de Los Muertos, we are all one.”
Amid a scene of brightly colored floats and revelers dressed in elaborate costumes, Mercedes and Luis Villanueva told NBC 5 that the Día de Los Muertos festival gave their children a chance to learn about their heritage.
Luis Villanueva said, “Everyone’s used to seeing this like on Disney with Coco, right? So just the fact to not only see it on TV or hear about it but to be able to come and partake in the opportunity to see others enjoying their time out here.”
Other attendees of the parade and festival spoke with NBC 5, pointing to different reasons for attending the event. Some just wanted to enjoy the attractions, and others sought to learn.
“Curiosity and just a fun day out,” were the reasons Stephanie Copeland shared.
She told NBC 5, “I’ve always loved the celebration of Día de Los Muertos. I think it’s always been very interesting, and I like learning about it.”
Aubrey Garcia told NBC 5 that the traditions of the parade and festival create a sense of familiarity for her.
“I love that Dallas is such a melting pot now that regardless of your heritage, it’s being celebrated somewhere,” she said.
The Dallas Día de Los Muertos parade was put on for the first time in 2019. It coincided with a similar celebration in Houston, NBC 5 reported.
Over the October 29 weekend, multiple Día de Los Muertos celebrations were held in the North Texas region, according to KERA News. Festivities could be found in the cities of Mesquite, Fort Worth, and Arlington.
In Fort Worth, the 19th annual Artes de la Rosa Cultural Center for the Arts Celebration was held at the cultural center. A free celebration was also hosted at the Mesquite Arts Center.
The East Library and Recreation Center hosted a free celebration organized by the Arlington Public Library, KERA News reported. Another event was held in Arlington on November 1 at the Museum of Contemporary Art.
