Day of the Dead Celebration in North County San Diego

Encinitas CA— Encinitas Friends of the Arts (EFA) and the City of Encinitas announce the eighth annual Encinitas Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead). A time when families gather to honor and remember deceased loved ones, Día de los Muertos is a significant Latino cultural celebration. This year, there will be a focus on those lost to COVID-19. This free event will take place both live in person at the City of Encinitas Community Center, 1140 Oakcrest Park Drive, and live streamed October 30 from 12:00 – 4:00 PM on bit.ly/watch-encinitas.
The Día de los Muertos indoor festivities include performances by Ballet Folklórico de San Dieguito, Ballet Folklórico Rancho Buena Vista High School, Mariachi Nuevo San Diego, Mariachi Estado de Oro, El Charro de Oro, and Fernando Bernal with Mariachi San Marcos. There will also be tissue flowers and sugar skull workshops, a Day of the Dead art exhibit by Oak Crest Middle School students, and opportunity drawings for laptop computers and more. Mano a Mano Foundation Program Director Beatriz Villarreal will emcee the event. Event speakers include Encinitas Mayor Catherine Blakespear, Encinitas Council Member Joy Lyndes, Assemblymember Tasha Boerner Horvath, and Encinitas Friends of the Arts President Naimeh Woodward.
Keeping health and safety in mind, the event offers attendees the option of watching the performances indoors or outdoors in real time on a large 8 feet by 14 feet screen made possible by a generous donation from an Encinitas Friends of the Arts member. Wearing a face mask while indoors is required.
A Community Ofrenda, a remembrance altar, will be on display indoors. All are invited to honor the memory of a loved one or friend by contributing a photograph or non-valuable remembrance to the Ofrenda.
Outdoor festivities include a face painting contest, low rider car show by the Callejeros de Encinitas Car Club, artist demonstrations, vendors, and food trucks. Face painting contest rules and waiver are available at https://encinitasarts.org/calendar/. A signed waiver is required to participate in the contest. Gift card prizes will be awarded to the categories of youth, teen and adult.
The event will feature artist Linda McBride who’s Rose Petal Covid Memorial art installation at Western Colorado Center for the Arts, Grand Junction, CO, was dedicated to the deceased who died from COVID-19 and their families who they are survived by. McBride will exhibit some of the panels from her art installation. Expanding upon her concept, The Dia de los Muertos event will have a community banner on display, and those who have lost loved ones to COVID-19 are invited to put a silver dot on the banner in remembrance. For details, visit facebook.com/encinitasfriendsofthearts.
Leading up to Día de los Muertos, the Encinitas Library, 540 Cornish Drive, will host two Día de los Muertos Altar Workshops led by local artist Luis Murguia. Workshops will be held Thursday, October 21 and Wednesday, October 27 from 5:00 to 7:50 PM. All materials will be provided. For details, contact the library at (760) 753-7376.
A Community Ofrenda will be on view from October 28 through November 4 in the lobby of the Encinitas Library along with a Day of the Dead art exhibit by Paul Ecke Central Elementary School students. Also, Día de los Muertos art made by Murguia will be featured in acrylic showcases in the front lobby. Masks are required at the library.
Encinitas Día de los Muertos is made possible by funding from the City of Encinitas Community Grant Program, Encinitas Friends of the Arts, the City of Encinitas, and numerous sponsors including California Coast Credit Union, Surgistar, Synergy Arts Foundation and Mano a Mano Foundation to name a few.
The mission of Encinitas Friends of the Arts is to partner with the City of Encinitas by fundraising and advocating for the cultural arts in Encinitas, and for city-owned arts venues. Established by the Encinitas Commission for the Arts in 2014, EFA works to elevate arts and culture by presenting cultural programs, arts education and public art. EFA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
For a schedule of events, or for more information, please visit www.encinitasarts.org, or call (760) 633-2746.