CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Preparations began months ago for the annual Dia de los Muertos Street Festival happening Oct. 28 in Downtown Corpus Christi.
K Space Contemporary Art Gallery is one of the local businesses supporting and hosting the street festival. The idea came more than 13 years ago, as the festival has grown from only hosting 500 people to several thousands.
Michelle Smythe, the executive director of K Space, considers their Dia de los Muertos Street Festival one of the biggest ones in the city. She added that her and her team started organizing this year's event almost a year ago.
“Preparations starts in June usually and sometimes as early as November of the year right after the festival. We start looking at bands, we start talking to musicians," Smythe said.
Dia de los Muertos or Day of the Dead, originates from Mexican heritage more than 3,000 years ago and honors the departed family members that have passed. Families create altars that are decorated with bright yellow marigold flowers, photos of their loved ones, and their favorite foods and drinks.
These offerings are believed to encourage visits from the land of the dead as the departed souls hear their prayers, smell their foods and join in the celebrations.
“It’s like you don’t let go of them completely," Smythe said. "They're in your heart and and you look forward to them returning on the days of the dead and it’s sort of like a spiritual reunion in a way.”
During the street festival, K Space will showcase dozens of local artwork, including handmade murals, along with live music, activities for the kids and an ofrenda on display.
And even though loved ones may not be here, Dia de los Muertos symbolizes that they have no actually passed on, but are still alive within us.
Corpus Christi Regional Transportation Authority will be providing free rides to the festival from 2:45 p.m. to midnight. Participants can park their car at city hall, the Nueces County Courthouse or Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi campus, where they would then take the bus to the festival.
Security guards will patrol the parking lots during the festival event.
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