About Our Event
Day of the Dead Columbus is hosted by the non-profit organization Latino Arts for Humanity. It is an educational, cultural, and family event to remember and celebrate our loved ones that are no longer with us.
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You'll experience a real Dia de los Muertos, the same way we celebrate in Mexico! Not only that, but you'll learn how other cultures celebrate their deceased loved ones.
You'll find: Ofrendas (Offerings), calaveritas literarias, graves decorations, traditional food vendors, live music with local bands and musicians, educational activities for kids, local arts exhibition, arts and crafts vendors, catrina contest, parade with aztec dancers, folklores dances, and much more!
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Watch the following video to learn more about Day of the Dead Columbus Festival!
The Day of the Dead is a celebration where pre-Hispanic culture is mix as much as the modern styles of life and art manifestations. The most important part of the celebration is the Offering exhibition. The individuals
who participate spend long hours working on the offerings. Many of these offerings are considered true
works of art, because they reflect the work, dedication, and creativity of individuals to create a good
offering. The Day of the Dead is a cultural festivity to remember family and friends that have passed
away and by continuing with this tradition, we keep them alive in our lives.
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How Did it Start?
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It started as a small country presentation in 1999 by Leticia Vazquez-Smith. Then it became to be a community event to share the culture and meaning of it while educating the Columbus public. Friends and volunteers from the community donated their time, money, and food to make it happen. Leticia made tamales and atole to share with the public as a gift, then it got to be presented in galleries throughout Short North, Clintonville, Westgate, and Italian Village. We then used warehouses and churches to host the event, until finally we found the perfect venue "Greenlawn Cemetery" in 2017.
The team has influenced and supported many art initiatives throughout Columbus, including Highball and local art exhibitions.
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About Latino Arts for Humanity
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Latino Arts for Humanity is a non-profit organization that encourages, develops, and preserves the arts and cultural heritage of the Latino community. Our primary goal is to serve as a bridge to the wider public by promoting the Latino arts and culture.
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The Mission of LAH is to share with the community the cultural background of the Day of the Dead and provide an opportunity to observe a different perception of the life-death duality. The goal is to educate
the community on this celebration through lectures and presentation about the history of the Day of the
Dead, in addition to altar exhibits, interactive projects, workshops, kids activities, colorful visual arts,
poetry readings, art hosting conversation, music, dance, and food during the Day of the Dead Festival.