Artist Miriam Alarcón Avila, left, decorated the Des Moines Art Center’s Day of the Dead ofrenda in 2022. Over the years, she has photographed many Iowan immigrants in the masks of Mexican wrestlers, or “luchadores,” which she spelled out here in bread. (Photo courtesy of the artist)
By Hailey Evans
Associate Editor
The Latino holiday Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is celebrated annually at the beginning of November. It honors family and heritage with traditions that draw from Aztec and other Indigenous Mexican customs blended with Catholic All Saints Day and All Souls Day celebrations that spread with Spanish colonization during the 16th century.
For many celebrants, the holiday on Nov. 1 and 2 is a time when the boundaries between the realms of the living and the dead blur. The spirits of departed loved ones return through a portal, guided and lured by colorful candle-lit altars, or ofrendas, often decorated with their favorite foods.
Miriam Alarcón Avila (pictured) designed the Des Moines Art Center’s annual ofrenda in 2022. She remembers the holiday during her childhood in Mexico, where her father died of cancer when she was 6.
“So every year, for my mom and my sisters, it was our moment to connect,” she said.
They decorated their family’s ofrenda with traditional touches — marigolds, tamales and anise-flavored pan de muerto, or the bread of the dead — as well as her father’s favorites. He loved apples, Modelo beer and Raleigh cigarettes.
“My sisters and I, we would sit almost frozen and watch for any bites on the bread or the fruits,” Alarcón Avila recalled. “It was fun, but year after year, we never saw any bites.
“As an adult, I realized that what the loved ones feed on is the love you put on the ofrenda. It’s that energy, that light. When you light the candle, you put a little bit of love in it.”
These days, Alarcón Avila lives in Tiffin and is leading a celebration in Iowa City, where folks can submit photos of departed loved ones for the display. She also teaches classes to make sugar skulls, another holiday tradition.
“It’s my way to remember (loved ones) and to honor them and to keep them in my heart,” she said. “Especially if you’re far away from home, or your family’s cemetery, it helps the souls who are traveling know where to go.”
Here in Des Moines, several places are hosting public Día de los Muertos celebrations this weekend.
The Des Moines Art Center is celebrating its 25th annual festival 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday to honor lost loved ones as well as “the unifying spirit of the holiday and the community members who have built and sustained this event,” according to the website. Visitors can enjoy free Mexican hot chocolate and pan de muerto, Mariachi performances, a costume contest, and a film screening. The event coincides with two related exhibitions featuring photography by Manuel Álvarez Bravo and locally inspired paintings by artist-in-residence Aliza Nisenbaum.
The Des Moines Public Library’s downtown location is hosting an event 4-6:30 p.m. Sunday with tamales, pan de muerto and Mexican hot chocolate. The family-friendly event includes activities for kids and adults to learn about Latino culture and see the ofrenda created by Latinx Immigrants of Iowa. Plus, library patrons can use the Iowa Adventure Pass to get free tickets to “Sugar Skull! A Día de Los Muertos” musical Nov. 8 at the Des Moines Civic Center.
La Ventanita Snack Bar, a family-owned cafe specializing in Mexican snacks and sweets, is hosting a pop-up with other local businesses to celebrate the holiday all weekend. The one-stop shop includes vendors selling candles, boutique items and cempasúchil, also known as Aztec marigolds. If you go, try the variety of agua frescas, fruit bowls and elotes.
Michael Morain contributed additional reporting.
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