Downey Dia de los Muertos returning with new attractions

DOWNEY – The eighth annual Downey Dia de los Muertos Art Festival returns Saturday, Oct. 30, with two new attractions.

The first is an invitation to the community to participate in the Downey Community Altar, an oversized, dramatic altar with candles, flowers and fanciful designs, circled by an apron of marigolds, with space for 50 commemorative photos.

To have a photo included in the altar, visit DowneyTheatre.com or call the box office at (562) 861-8211 and ask for a participation entry card. The attraction is limited to 50 photos.

The Downey Community Altar is designed by Rosanna Ahreds, under the auspices of her mother and mentor, Ofelia Esparaza, considered the grande dame of L.A. Dia de los Muertos altar design. She still consults and oversees the design of the work.

Esparza has both kept alive and revived altar making to “high art” in Los Angeles. She’s been affiliated with the renowned East L.A.-based Self-Help Graphics and also with the Alliance for California Traditional Arts.

Esparza and Ahrens were the primary consultants for the Pixar blockbuster movie “Coco.”

The Downey Community Altar is the centerpiece of Plaza de Recuedos (Plaza of Memories), staged in the newly renovated plaza that fronts the Downey Theatre. The area will be festooned with garlands of marigolds, 5-ft. Wide butterflies will adorn the stately palms, a small display of catrinas and a color Papel Picado Party, with an exhibit and live demonstrations by Aurora Chavez, who studied with Olga Ponce Ferginson, the most famous L.A. papel picado artisan, will also be in the Plaza.

The second special feature is a concert by the all-female Mariachi Divas. The L.A. based Grammy Award winners will close the festival with a ticketed performance at 8 p.m. at the Downey Theatre.

The Divas are local favorites, having twice sold out their Christmas shows at the Downey Theatre. Band leader Cindy Shea, classically trained and a world-class trumpet player, delivers top notch musicianship with a splash of flash: her shows are high energy, engaging and entertaining, appropriate and appealing to all age groups.

In 2009, the Divas became the first all-female mariachi band ever to be nominated for and to win a Grammy Award. The band has been nominated for seven Grammy Awards, winning twice.

Tickets range from $30-$45 and are on sale now at the theater box office.

Other festival attractions include:

Continuous, professional ballet folklorico on the PIH Health Community Stage
Car Altar Alley with 10 vintage automobiles that have been converted to altars for the day
Fine arts exhibit in the theater lobby and mezzanine, curated by the Downey Arts Coalition (painting, collage, sculpture, multimedia) featuring local artists and a children’s art exhibit
Food trucks
Calaveras/sugar skull decorating and demonstrations
Face painting
Wine and beer
Live music and dancing in the zocalo
Approximately 30 vendors for shopping in the mercado

The Downey Theatre is in compliance with all national, state and local guidelines regarding COVID-19 restrictions, recommendations and protocol for indoor events.