Minden, NV - Douglas County Parks and Recreation, Mainstreet Gardnerville, and Carson Valley arts council are excited to host the first local Día De los Muertos Festival at Heritage park (1447 Courthouse Alley) in Gardnerville. This event will take place from 3-6 pm on November 5th, 2022. Join us in a celebration of traditional Mexican culture. There will be live Mariachi music performed by “Mariachi Cazadores De Nevada” along with Folklore dancers and 12-foot Catrina dolls presented by “Latino Arts and Culture of Reno”. In addition, there will be opportunities for families to create Mexican-inspired art, receive sugar skull face paintings, purchase traditional jewelry and crafts, and enjoy Latin-inspired food and/or drink.
Día de los Muertos dates back over 3,000 years when the Aztecs celebrated rituals honoring the dead. Now celebrated throughout Mexico and the United States, Día de los Muertos is a time when families pay homage to loved ones who passed and welcome them with their favorite food and drinks, music, and dancing. Families build altars/ofrendas where they place pictures and other offerings to their loved ones. We will be providing a community ofrenda during our celebration at Heritage park and invite you all to bring your own photos, messages, and special offerings to share. If your family or business would like to create your own ofrenda, we will have spaces to reserve for free. For vendor space information or ofrenda reservations please contact Georgianna Drees-Wasmer at [email protected] or 775-782-5500 ext. 5245.