MEMORIES & MARIGOLDS: Día de los Muertos Magnifies Ogden’s Spirit
Ofrendas, major celebrations, and pop-ups: Dia de los Muertos invites art, culture, and love
NEWS
Giant painted skulls adorn the entrance of Ogden Union Station during Día de los Muertos festivities in 2020. Deann Armes; Two stunning La Catrinas pose outside Ogden’s historic Union Station during a past Día de los Muertos celebration at Ogden union station. Courtesy of Cultura and Craft; A beautifully crafted ofrenda (altar) on display during the annual car show at Cultura and Craft’s Día de los Muertos celebration at Ogden Union Station. Deann Armes
In just 10 years, Día de los Muertos has brought a vibrant light of community, diversity, and love to our Ogden neighbors. What began as a way to build community to fill a cultural void became a monthlong celebration with events to attend each weekend.
Launched in 2019, the annual celebration hosted by local nonprofit Cultura and Craft returns to Ogden Union Station at the end of the month. Amir Jackson and Lane Montoya were the original curators who noticed a lack of emphasis on the Latino population in Ogden and decided to plan an event to diversify the map of activity downtown and around the area.
“We’re just trying to bring a positive energy and highlight our Latino community in places that maybe they weren’t before,” Montoya said.
After a few years, organizers had already begun to see changes. The group in charge grew to four with Natalie Vaculin, Ramiro Caballero and Leon Araujo joining later on. From there, they created a lively celebration and a safe space for shared emotion that continues to flourish through organizers across Ogden.
Ogden Friends of American Music (OFOAM) hosts a yearly celebration at the Ogden Amphitheater. With a focus on younger generations, the nonprofit organization shares a similar ethos to bring a greater knowledge of and interest in the holiday. Yesenia Salgado is the chair of the event this year, and she adds that the opportunity to see so much participation in Ogden brings her a sense of hope in the community.
images from past dia de los muertos en ogden celebrations hosted by ofoam. provided
“Our goal is always to have a safe environment for everyone there, and I love seeing people learn about what Día de los Muertos is when they see the altar and they see that it’s not scary, that it’s not this bad thing, that it’s actually something beautiful and that they can also do at home,” Salgado said. “I always say, ‘Coco’ is your gateway. … I always love it when people fall in love with it.”
Montoya agrees that it’s helped him see the growth and acceptance in the community that never received a chance to thrive before.
“Just seeing the diversity down there with different ethnic backgrounds coming down and celebrating with us … It’s beautiful. That’s what makes me feel the best,” he said. “This is something we want generations to be able to celebrate.”
And it really has become a generational event. With an emphasis on the younger generation and student participation from Salgado and OFOAM, Día de los Muertos has become widely known and shared throughout the halls of schools and homes as well as the streets throughout October.
“Each year there are different pieces where we really try to incorporate the youth. I always believe if you teach them young, they’ll learn to fall in love with it. And then when we’re gone, they’ll continue that on their own as well,” Salgado said.
Back by popular demand! The vibrant LA band Las Cafeteras brings their energy back to the Ogden Amphitheater on October 11. Here they are performing at OFOAM’s 2024Día de los Muertos celebration. Deann Armes
With thousands joining from southern Utah, Idaho, Colorado and Ogden, and with the help of various producers and contributors like OFOAM and Cultura and Craft, Día de los Muertos has become a tradition and will continue to be one for years to follow, as more members attend and the culture becomes an integral part of the neighborhood.
“There’s something to be said about when you walk into an event, and you just kind of feel the energy of the love, the people, the ancestors … Knowing that people put in these efforts to celebrate their loved ones, resonated with them, and think a little bit about their past,” Montoya said. “So that’s what it is. It’s a gorgeous thing. It’s meant to be beautiful.”
If you’re looking forward to celebrating, check out each event this month. But if you haven’t found the opportunity to be a part of the fun, see the love for yourself at an event, or two, or all.
All events are free and open to the public.
OFOAM’s Día de los Muertos en Ogden, Sunday, Oct. 11, 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., Ogden Amphitheater | ofoam.org
The eighth annual Día de los Muertos Utah hosted by Cultura and Craft: Saturday, Oct. 24, 1-7 p.m., Ogden Union Station | culturaandcraft.com
Myers Mortuary Día de los Muertos Celebration: Monday, Nov. 2, 5 p.m., Myers Evergreen Memorial Park | allevents.in