From Altars to Art: Ogden’s Día de los Muertos returns

Ogden now hosts three different Día de los Muertos events throughout October, each reflecting a unique regional tradition from Mexico

NEWS

Photos of OFOAM’s Dia de los Muertos en Ogden in 2024 at Ogden Amphitheater featuring LA band Las Cafeteras. Images provided by OFOAM

Colorful altars, traditional dances, and student art will fill Ogden’s downtown this month as the city marks five years of celebrating Día de Los Muertos with Noche de Almas – Spanish for “Night of Souls.” The Oct. 11 event at the Ogden Amphitheater and along 25th Street runs from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. 

The all-day event will include a community and pet altar, live performances by groups such as El Santo Golpe and Mariachi Guzman, and a student art show. The celebration also includes a Mercadito marketplace organized with La Buena Vida Utah and a car show hosted by GoodTimes Car Club UT, blending visual art, music, and community togetherness.

Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a Mexican holiday that celebrates life and remembrance – a tradition now reflected in Ogden’s growing Hispanic and Latino community.

Organizers like Yesenia Salgado, chair of the Día de los Muertos en Ogden committee, say they’re especially proud of the student, which now includes pieces from the Ogden School District and DaVinci Academy.

“When we first started with Día de los Muertos, there was some explaining that we would have to do, and some kids were doing some Halloween pieces or regular skeletons,” Salgado said. “Now, you see zero Halloween art, zero skeletons. It was really focusing on what Day of the Dead really meant.”

Over the years, she said, that understanding has turned into excitement. 

“Students are excited just to represent their culture, and then even students who are not Hispanic, they're actually getting into it as well,” Salgado said. “So, it’s just a fun way of continuing a great tradition.”

Alongside the art, the Mercadito will fill 25th Street with crafts, food, and art from local Latino vendors and student entrepreneurs. 

Behind the scenes, the Día De los Muertos Committee – a small, all-women group, most of them of Mexican descent  – organizes every aspect of the event, from the student art show and Mercadito to the entertainment lineup and altar displays. The committee operates under Ogden Friends of Acoustic Music, better known as OFOAM, a nonprofit organization known for coordinating multicultural music events. 

“We want to make sure that people know why the Día de los Muertos is happening and the different elements that it takes,” Salgado said. “It's not just about having a party. It's about taking a moment and really remembering the people that came before you, and remembering them in a happy way. Not a sad way.”

That spirit of honoring the Mexican holiday through art extends beyond this weekend.

Later in the month, the Historic Union Station will host a free six-hour Day of the Dead event, organized by the local nonprofit, Cultura & Craft. 

Cultura & Craft’s 7th annual Dia de Los Muertos Utah festival will be held on Saturday, Oct. 25, at 1 p.m., where there will be a craft market, dance performances, a car show, food vendors, and a community altar with live music filling the station throughout the day.

Photos of Cultura & Craft’s Dia de los Muertos Utah in 2024 at Ogden Union Station. Images provided by Cultura & Craft

Salgado said Ogden now hosts three different Día de los Muertos events throughout October, each reflecting a unique regional tradition from Mexico. The committee’s celebration at the Ogden Amphitheater kicks off the series on Oct. 11, followed by Cultura & Craft at Union Station on Oct. 25, and another hosted by Myers Mortuary and Oaxaca Utah, on Nov 1. at 4 p.m.

“One question that we get asked a lot is, “‘Why three? Why can’t you all just combine into one?’” Salgado said. “And my answer is this: Mexico is a huge country with a multitude of states, and each state does the representation differently of Día de los Muertos.”

Salgado said the annual Day of the Dead celebration has helped the community connect more deeply with its culture over the years. 

“I hope that people can go to these different events that are happening and see the different regions that are being represented and not just all on one day,” she said.