Aurora resident Jose Torres recalls the effect ofrendas — altars honoring departed friends and family — had on those setting them up at previous Dia de los Muertos celebrations.
“They end up in tears because they remember the loved ones. They are alive with them,” he said. “So it’s a really important celebration to remember all those people.”
Downtown Aurora will once again be transformed into Sugar Skull City from Oct. 15 to Nov. 6, offering a three-week celebration of the Day of the Dead.
“There are several activities that people can do throughout that time,” said Marissa Amoni, manager of Aurora Downtown. “One of the goals is to educate people about the culture and the celebration of Day of the Dead and what it means.”
Typically celebrated Nov. 1-2, Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a Mexican holiday in which friends and family gather to remember loved ones who have died.
Torres said it’s a colorful event that is important not just for Mexico but also the U.S. and other countries.
“Everywhere is celebrating Day of the Dead,” he said.
Much of Aurora’s Sugar Skull City celebration is self-guided, Amoni said.
“So people can go around and look at the decorated storefronts and go into the businesses,” she said.
As part of Sugar Skull City, more than three dozen businesses will have their storefronts decorated with artwork and displays by local artists, starting Oct. 15.
On that date a full list of businesses and a map will be posted on auroradowntown.org/sugarskullcity
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The website also features educational videos and downloadable coloring pages. Artwork featuring “pan de muerto,” or bread of the dead, will be in store windows as part of a scavenger hunt. Throughout the three-week celebration visitors can tag on Instagram @downtownaurora on the ones they find to enter weekly giveaways.
In addition, Sergio Furniture, 36 W. Downer Place, will have a 5-foot sugar skull on display. Many businesses, restaurants and bakeries will offer specials throughout the three weeks as well.
Ofrendas made by community members will be on display as part of a competition at Santori Public Library, 101 S. River St., starting Nov. 1. The winner will be announced Nov. 4 during First Friday, when the library will host a Día de los Muertos and ofrendas celebration from 6-8 p.m. in its atrium. Ofrendas will also be displayed in storefronts along Broadway Avenue.
The Sugar Skull City event culminates during its final weekend with the First Friday celebration starting at 4:30 p.m. featuring activities and entertainment organized by Athziry Dia de los Muertos, the nonprofit started by Torres.
“We’ll have a celebration on Water Street mall that Jose Torres will lead,” Amoni said.
A fashion show at will be held at La Quinta de los Reyes, 36 E. New York St., and Balderas Beauty Salon and Divas owner Clara Diaz will host festivities with body painter Jose Art in the parking lot behind her salon, 25 N. Broadway Ave.
“New this year is the Sugar Skull City Market on Saturday, Nov. 5,” Amoni said.
From 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Art and Market at Society 57, 100 S. River St., will have vendors from the Mexican state of Oaxaca as well as local Hispanic owned businesses will be on site. Day of the Dead merchandise will also be for sale.
“And Nov. 6 is the last day the people can see all the painted storefronts and everything because after that people will be getting ready for Winter Lights in downtown,” Amoni said.
Now in its third year, Sugar Skull City started during the pandemic as a way of expanding on the Day of the Dead activities organized by Torres.
“We wanted people to be able to go around downtown and walk around in the open air and be able to enjoy the downtown community,” Amoni said. “It’s really grown over the last couple of years with restrictions being lifted into more celebrations and getting the community together.”
Torres started the Day of the Dead celebration 14 years ago as a small gathering at home, later moving to a church, then downtown before partnering with Aurora Downtown for Sugar Skull City.
“It became a really important celebration in downtown Aurora,” Torres said.
Now the event draws people from well beyond the Aurora area.
“Some people are going to come from Mexico, L.A., New York and different states around the United States,” Torres said. “But most important, the Mexican government is going to show up here in downtown Aurora.”
“We’ve gotten thousands of people for Sugar Skull City. It’s very popular. It’s a colorful, beautiful celebration,” Amoni said. “It really brings people from all over and is a really nice way to highlight all the downtown has to offer.”
Sugar Skull City
When: Oct. 15-Nov. 6
Where: Downtown Aurora
Tickets: Free
Information: sugarskullcity.com or auroradowntown.org/sugarskullcity
Kathy Cichon is a freelance reporter for the Beacon-News.
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