Community Corner
Día De Los Muertos Event Returns To The Watsonville Plaza
Watsonville Film Festival will host a screening of the "Coco" along with musical performances and Day of the Dead altars on Oct. 29.
Press release from the Santa Cruz County Office of Education:
Oct. 24, 2021
On Friday October 29, the Watsonville Film Festival (WFF) will present the Fourth Annual Día de los Muertos event at the downtown Watsonville Plaza. It will feature the animated movie Coco, as well as music, dance and art inspired by the beautiful Mexican tradition of Day of the Dead.
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“We are thrilled to go back to the Plaza to host this beautiful community celebration in person again,” says Consuelo Alba, Executive Director of the Watsonville Film Festival. The lively event brought thousands of people together in the past, but in 2020 it was held virtually due to the pandemic. “Families love coming to the Plaza to watch the beloved movie Coco, and celebrate a festive holiday that honors loved ones who are no longer with us. We think this event will be a healing experience.”
WFF is partnering with the Santa Cruz County Office of Education, City of Watsonville and Hospice of Santa Cruz County to present the live event at the Plaza, as well as a free online program.
“We are so honored to be sponsoring this year’s Watsonville Film Festival Día de los Muertos event,” says Cathy Conway, Chief Executive Officer, Hospice of Santa Cruz County. “This event is an important opportunity to reflect on those we have loved and lost; to celebrate, honor and remember them in community with friends and family.”
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On Friday, October 29, beginning at 4 p.m., families will be treated to performances by El Sistema, Academia de Música Ilusión, Estrellas de Esperanza, White Hawk Aztec Dancers and Esperanza del Valle. Coco will screen in Spanish with English subtitles at sunset. People are encouraged to bring lawn chairs, blankets and warm clothes.
In addition, Pajaro Valley Arts and Watsonville Brillante will offer family activities, including paper butterflies and colorful mosaic making. And the Watsonville Public Library will roll out its BiblioVan, a mobile library.
The heart and soul of the celebration are the altars, set up by families and non-profit organizations, that honor ancestors and loved ones who have passed on. Pan de muerto (Bread of the Dead) made by local bakeries, and marigolds harvested in Pájaro Valley fields, will accompany the photos and mementos on the ofrendas (altars). The public is welcome to bring their own flowers and offerings to leave on a community altar.
“Safely coming together as a community is so important after this past year and half, and the County Office of Education could not be happier to support the return of Día de los Muertos to the Watsonville Plaza," says Santa Cruz County Superintendent of Schools Faris Sabbah. "With ofrendas, performances, film, and food, this celebration has something everyone in your family will enjoy. We hope you'll join us as we remember and honor our ancestros and those who have passed on.”
From October 27 to November 2, WFF will present an online film program titled Ofrendas y Altares featuring a selection of documentary films about altars by iconic director Lourdes Portillo and local filmmakers Eugenia Rentería, Gabriel Jesse Medina and Marcus Cisneros. Two live Zoom events will also be held: a community conversation in Spanish about the cycle of life and death hosted by Hospice of Santa Cruz County on Wednesday, October 27, 6-7 p.m., and a bilingual painting class with artist Nacho Moya on Thursday, October 28 at 6 p.m. Details available at https://watsonvillefilmfest.org/dia-de-muertos. All online and in-person events are free.
Day of the Dead crafts tutorials for children by local artists, and podcasts by Digital NEST members are also readily available on the Festival’s website.
Día de los Muertos 2021 is presented by the Watsonville Film Festival in partnership with the Santa Cruz County Office of Education and the City of Watsonville. The primary sponsor is Hospice of Santa Cruz County, with support from Community Foundation Santa Cruz County and Arts Council Santa Cruz County and community partners Pajaro Valley Arts, Arte del Corazón, Moya Art Studio and Monterey Bay Murals.
This press release was produced by the Santa Cruz County Office of Education. The views expressed here are the author's own
