By Meaghan Jeremiah, Layout Designer

Montevallo hosted their second annual Die de Muertos Festival at 620 Valley Street on Saturday, Nov. 2.  

The event started at 2 p.m. and lasted until 10 p.m. and was free to everyone in the community.  

The event was organized by Su Casa Real Estate, Team Lehman Realty, Montevallo Main Street, Impact Montevallo and other partners and sponsors in the community.  

Dia De Los Muertos is Spanish for Day of the Dead. It is a traditional Mexican two-day holiday that celebrates the deceased.  

Families and friends set up ofrendas, or alters, to pay tribute to their loved ones. The ofrendas are decorated with marigold flowers, photographs and favorite foods or drinks of the person being memorialized.  

The gifts are to attract visits from the deceased, as the souls in the afterlife hear the prayers, catch the scent of their favorite foods and take part in the festivities. 

The event that happened at Montevallo offered a community ofrenda. Anyone was invited to set up an alter to honor their loved ones.  

Prizes were awarded for the best alter. They also offered best dressed Catrin or Catrina prizes in both child and adult categories.  

La Catrina and El Catrin are both skeleton figures that stand as a symbol for Dia De los Muertos. People will dress up and paint their faces to resemble a skeleton and to embrace death and the cycle of life.  

Live music and dancing were held throughout the event. There were performances by DJ El Lobito, Danza Azteca, Saúl Ramírez y Su Ritmo Tropical, Baile Folklorico, Baile de los Viejitos and a live Mariachi band.  

Food and goods from vendors lined the street, including tamales, tacos, fruit, necklaces, clothing and much more.  

There was also a children’s area where kids could color their own mask, get temporary tattoos or make magnets. This was all provided by Impact Montevallo, Parnell Memorial Library and Alabama Public Television.  

The event also offered people to write a “letter to heaven.” Anyone could write a letter to their loved one who has passed and at the end of the event they were burned and “sent to heaven.” 

Face painting was offered as well, and you could get any Catrin or Catrina you wanted.  

The event ended with traditional Folklórico dances with music by the Mariachi band. A large robot also made an appearance to dance and hype up the crowd.  

Line dancing such as the Caballo Dorado broke out which created an exciting, happy, and celebratory atmosphere to end the night.