In Aurora, Day of the Dead festivities now span three weeks.
That’s plenty of time to explore all the Sugar Skull City activities and art on display through Nov. 7 in downtown Aurora.
“Sugar Skull City celebrates the Day of the Dead holiday, a cultural tradition from Mexico that honors those who have died,” said Marissa Amoni, manager of Aurora Downtown. “Aurora has deep Hispanic roots, and downtown features many Hispanic-owned businesses, so expanding on the Day of the Dead festivities is a natural progression of what’s grown over the last decade.”
Back in 2012, Aurora’s first event to celebrate Day of the Dead was started by Jose Torres from Athziry Dia de los Muertos, a nonprofit that grants scholarships to local students. Now in its second year, Sugar Skull City is a three-week celebration that ties in with that original festival.
“From walking through downtown to find alebrijes to enjoying painted storefronts and authentic Mexican restaurants, Sugar Skull City creates an opportunity for the community to learn about an important cultural tradition,” Amoni said.
“The celebrations include workshops; drawing; face painting; building Catrinas; creating sugar skulls; and performances for the whole family to enjoy, like Aztec Dancers, Ballet folklorico, Tamborazo and the traditional Dia de los Muertos altars.”
Sugar Skull City is a self-guided experience, and visitors are encouraged to download a map and tour the festive storefronts decorated by local artists. More than 40 businesses are participating.
“New this year, artists and students were invited to submit alebrije art for a scavenger hunt in storefronts,” Amoni said. “The alebrije hunt features 25 posters of alebrijes — magical animals from Mexican folk art.”
Ofrendas — altars honoring the dead — will be on display at Santori Public Library and at several downtown merchants, while Aurora Public Art is installing an alebrije mural on the BNSF viaduct wall along New York Street, under the railroad bridge east of Broadway.
“Our downtown is rich in culture, and seeing that come to life is a gift to us that also honors those in our community who have died,” Amoni said.
The schedule includes a Day of the Dead evening celebration Nov. 5 as part of Downtown Aurora’s First Fridays series as well as the annual Day of the Dead festival hosted by Athziry Dia de los Muertos, taking place 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 6 at the lot on the southeast corner of Broadway Street and Galena Boulevard.
Three downtown Mexican bakeries will be serving up pan de muerto (“bread of the dead”), a traditional Mexican sweet bread, while other local restaurants will be featuring menu specials. For a full event schedule and map, go to sugarskullcity.com.
Of course, around town there will be plenty of the celebration’s namesake: sugar skulls.
“Sugar skulls are a popular symbol of the holiday as they are often used as part of altars or ofrendas,” Amoni explained.
If you’d like to try DIYing your own sugar skulls, the website offers a video tutorial for those as well as making papel picado and building an ofrenda.
Sugar Skull City
When: Oct. 15-Nov. 7
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Where: Downtown Aurora
Tickets: free
Information: sugarskullcity.com
Jen Banowetz is a freelance reporter for the Beacon-News.