Honor Loved Ones, Fallen Soldiers At Tulsa Day Of The Dead Arts Festival

NewsOn6.com

TULSA, Oklahoma -- Remember a loved one and honor fallen soldiers at the 16th Annual Day of the Dead Arts Festival. The festival is planned for 5 to 11 p.m. Monday, November 1 at Living Arts of Tulsa, 307 E. Brady Street.

An altar to honor fallen soldiers will be featured along with Hispanic food, music and dance.

Dozens of altars will be on display, including the one for the "Fallen Soldier" and many created by area artists. A community altar will be set up for anyone to place items to remember a loved one. The Rev. David Medina of St. Francis Xavier Parish will bless the altars at 7:30 p.m.

During the traditional "Día de los Muertos," relatives remember those who have died by decorating an altar, often at a grave, with flowers, food and drinks favored by the deceased.

Outdoor performers will include Mariachi Tulsa, 5 p.m.; Sol Azteca folkloric dancers, 5:35 p.m.; Eleganza Musical, 6:30; DJ Kike, 7:15; Salsasabor, 7:30; DJ Kike, 8:30 p.m.; skeleton procession and fire dancers, 8:35; and Banda Sonic, 9:15-10:15.

Performing indoors will be the Tulsa Youth Orchestra, 5 p.m.; guitarist and singer Marcelino Leal, 5:50; Ecuadorian musician Erik Zurita, 6:45; and the Tierra Mestiza folkloric dancers, 7:30 p.m.

Life-size papier-mâché skeletons will be paraded down Brady Street, which will be closed between Elgin and Detroit avenues for the event. Festival visitors will be able to decorate traditional sugar skulls and incinerate letters written to the deceased. Festival T-shirts and posters will be available for purchase, and more than 30 artists will have their works for sale.

Sponsors of the festival include the Oklahoma Arts Council, Williams and Southwood Landscape and Nursery. For more information, call Living Arts at 918-585-1234 or visit livingarts.org.