Dia de Los Muertos Festival in Santa Maria Honors Deceased Family Members

The 14th annual Dia de Los Muertos festival took place in Santa Maria on Sunday, bringing together 32 vendors.

This was the first festival since COVID-19.

Sunday featured altars, food, art vendors and more.

Dianna Barbosa works at the Allan Hancock College Art Club and paints a sidewalk mural.

The mural represents her culture at the Dia de Los Muertos festival in Santa Maria.

“We draw something called Ofrenda, which is a mock-up of our favorite foods of our deceased family members,” Barbosa said. “There are always candles and there are always marigolds, so this is in honor of them. In our culture, they come to visit us that night and take this food and take it with them into the afterlife.”

She talks about why this day is important to her.

“Both of my parents are Hispanic,” Barbosa said. “It’s just good to have roots and know where you come from.”

Dia de Los Muertos or Day of the Dead honors and celebrates the lives of deceased family members.

This means something different for everyone.

“This is a celebration of our ancestors,” Barbosa said.

“It shows our culture and our traditions,” Jazoin Guevara said.

Event staff say the festival featured more cultural exploration than ever before.

“It’s a reflection of the culture that exists here in Santa Maria,” said Stephanie Saucedo, Santa Maria’s recreation director.