You are invited to come to a Hispanic celebration in Idaho Falls this weekend
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IDAHO FALLS — A traditional Hispanic celebration is coming to Idaho Falls this weekend, and an organization is inviting the community to eat delicious food, listen to live music and experience the culture.
Alfredo Avila with the Hispanic Committee within the Greater Idaho Falls Chamber of Commerce said there will be a Día De Los Muertos event on Saturday, Nov. 2. It will be from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Willard Arts Center in Idaho Falls and is free to attend. There will be vendors and lots of activities for families.
Día De Los Muertos, or the Day of the Dead, is known as a Mexican holiday in which family and friends come together to pay respects and remember loved ones who have died. It’s often celebrated on Nov. 1 and Nov. 2.
According to The Grace Museum, many people make altars or offerings in their homes to honor their loved ones who have passed. Marigolds are typically used to decorate altars for the dead. La Catrina is a female skeleton who has become a prominent figure during the celebration.
“We’ll have Catrinas, we’ll have the original bread of the dead which is a really nice tradition. We will explain what marigold means in the Hispanic community for the Day of the Dead. There will be music and there will be karaoke as well as food,” Avila said.
He said the Day of the Dead bread is “fantastic,” and it’s sweet with sugar. It’s only made during this time of year. A local business called The Trigo Bakery will be there and have the bread for sale so people can try it.
Avila told EastIdahoNews.com that the Hispanic Committee, which was formed this year, aims to integrate all Hispanic businesses into the Idaho Falls business community. He said they had come up with a few events, and this was one of them.
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“We have our networking events once a month, but we thought it was a good idea to have an event that would allow one of the Hispanic traditions to be more well-known in our town and, at the same time, bring people together in a fun way,” Avila said.
Avila encourages the community to attend and thinks they might be surprised by what they learn.
“Enjoy the tradition that’s been part of the Hispanic culture for centuries!” he said. “Just looking at life in a different way is always very enriching for everybody.”