Light from a LAMP

By Liz Pritchard

—Albuquerque, NM

(WRITTEN FOR THE NEW MEXICO PRESS ASSOCIATION COLLEGE JOURNALISM WORKSHOP 2023)

Starting Oct. 28 local businesses in Old Town Albuquerque are hosting an eight-day celebration for Dia de los Muertos. This is the first year that the event is taking place, and local participants expressed excitement to see it come together.

Shop owner Tess Coats said the event was created to expand on a vision.

“The objective is to make it very family friendly, but also to activate all of Old Town, rather than just the gazebo right there in the middle of Old Town, you know? That’s usually where everything happens and nobody moves, they just congregate there. So, the vision was to really expand on that and give everybody kind of a chance to get folks to walk through their door.”

Coats founded her business Luna + Luz two years ago and she has played a prominent role in the organizational process of the celebration.

“We did get a consultant from Mexico who talked with us to ensure that we were being traditionally appropriate and ensuring that we weren’t straying from the way it’s done,” Coats said.

Old Town, chartered in 1706, merges the cultures of Spain, Mexico, and the United States, and is an example of heritage that New Mexico prides itself on. One tradition locals want to showcase as part of that heritage is the Ofrenda tour.

Decorated altars will be placed around the plaza, similar to a treasure hunt. Twenty-four ofrendas may be found throughout Old Town with the community ofrenda at the center gazebo located at 200 N Plaza Street during the event. Attendees are welcome to bring photos of their loved ones to put on the altars.

Another aspect that the public can enjoy is the Marigold Mile. Hundreds of marigolds will wrap around Old Town, adding more of a ‘wow’ factor to the production said Coats.

“It’s part of our culture down here,” said Liz Kingswood. “It’s a time when people can come back together and participate in a cultural event that is appropriate to New Mexico.”

Kingswood runs two holiday centered stores in Old Town: The Christmas Shop and Whismy. She said the celebration will bring a new perspective to the local area.

“We started the Old Town association to try to bring all the merchants and all the residents and the building owners together,” Kingswood said. “This is really the first event that we’re doing as a community, as an Old Town community association to really bring us together … for something fun.”

The celebration was structured by the local business owners and residents to bring more life into the space that is more than just a tourist attraction. Participation wasn’t required but the community owners collaborated to pull in resources and make this a joint effort.

Over 150 shops fill up Old Town, each with its own unique style that represent New Mexico’s way of life. During the Dia de los Muertos event, retail vendors will feature holiday themed gifts and merchandise.

Brenda Baca, co-owner of Back Alley Brujas, said the event is a great opportunity for people to get involved.

“Dia de los Muertos is a very important holiday to celebrate and educate people about,” Baca said.

The holiday, which translates to Day of the Dead, celebrates a tradition in Mexican culture that reunites families, living and dead.

“It’s a perfect holiday to celebrate because it’s bringing family together,” Baca said.

She likes how the organizers coordinated with business owners to provide decorations and make the process less stressful. She said that she is excited to participate in the event and will have an ofrenda set up for the store.

Baca said this holiday is a time for people to educate themselves and their families about the culture that surrounds the holiday.

“I don’t think that just because someone has passed, they should be forgotten. It’s a beautiful holiday to celebrate the ones you love and who are no longer here. It’s also a great opportunity for young kids, like the little ones. Death can be very scary, and I think that it’s a positive way to shed light on just a natural process of life.”

From Oct. 28 to Nov. 4, family friendly activities are free to the public at Old Town. Those activities include live music from local artists and a variety of themed food and drinks from local vendors.

Liz Pritchard is a student at the University of New Mexico. Follow her journalism at lightfromalamp.com.