Thousands celebrate Dia de los Muertos in the Bay Area

On Sunday, thousands of people celebrated Dia de los Muertos with events in the Bay Area. In Oakland, tens of thousands of people came out to the Fruitvale neighborhood for one of city’s largest Dia de los Muertos celebrations. The free, family-friendly festival featured live music, traditional altars, Latin American artisans, performances, a low rider show, and activities for all ages. The theme this year was La Lucha Continúa: Aquí Estamos Y No Nos Vamos” (the struggle continues: we are here and we re not leaving). The Children’s Discovery Museum in San Jose also held its Dia de los Muertos celebration, with an event that encouraged families with children to honor departed loved ones and learn more about Mexican culture. The celebration included traditional Aztec dancing, calacas processions of giant skeleton puppets and a special stop at Lupe, the museum s 14,000-year-old mammoth. Craft stations were also set up for the children. Sunday’s program at the Ch