FLAGSTAFF — Celebraciones de la Gente got off to a rousing start on Saturday, Oct. 24, 2015 at the Museum of Northern Arizona.
Click here to see a slideshow of the opening day for the public of the 12th annual Celebraciones de la Gente.
FLAGSTAFF — Final preparations were completed by Friday afternoon with the hanging of strings of papel picado and the adornment of nearly two dozen altars at the Museum of Northern Arizona as Flagstaff Nuestras Raíces prepared for the 12th annual Celebraciones de la Gente to be held Oct. 24-25. In partnership with the Museum of Northern Arizona, the celebration opened with a member’s preview on Friday evening with the lighting of candles throughout the historic Jaime Major Golightly Historic Courtyard. The public is invited to attend Celebraciones at 9 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 24 and Sunday, Oct. 25.
Click here to see a slideshow of the preparations and member’s preview at the 12th annual Celebraciones de la Gente.
Sunset Magazine included Celebraciones de la Gente in Flagstaff as one of its “The West’s best Day of the Dead celebrations.”
“The festival features the usual handicrafts, altars, and music, but with a hint of the Old West, thanks to the participation of Nuestras Raíces (‘Our Roots’), a local heritage organization honoring the city’s Hispanic pioneer families from the early 1900s,” the magazine reported
Click here to see the full article.
Celebrate Mexican cultural traditions in a festive and vibrant setting at the 12th Annual Celebraciones de la Gente, a lively Day of the Dead festival Oct. 24 and 25, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., at the Museum of Northern Arizona (MNA) in Flagstaff.
Visitors will enjoy two days of fine art and unique crafts, Ballet Folklórico and Aztec dancing, Mariachi music and Day of the Dead inspired crafts for the kids.
Celebraciones de la Gente is presented in partnership with Nuestras Raíces, a local grassroots organization of Flagstaff’s Hispanic pioneer families from the 1900s, dedicated to promoting Mexican, Mexican-American and Hispanic culture. Members of the group will lead insightful heritage workshops and discussions throughout the weekend.
“A joyous occasion, the festival is a way for the community to honor deceased loved ones and transform grief into music, dance and artistic expression,” said Linda Martin, MNA Heritage Program Manager. “Death is not the end, but rather the beginning of a new stage in life.”
Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos), an ancient pre-Columbian observance, is held throughout Mexico, Latin America and the Southwest on Nov. 1 and 2 (All Saint’s Day and All Soul’s Day). While rituals and timing vary geographically, central to every celebration is a gathering of friends and family who visit cemeteries to remember their loved ones. Today’s celebrations fuse centuries of indigenous practices with contemporary traditions and spiritual beliefs. Ofrendas (altars), marigold flowers, sugar skulls and skeleton caricatures, pan de muerto (bread of the dead) and photos of those who have passed take center stage.
The Museum’s Jaime Major Golightly Historic Courtyard will be transformed — decorated with brightly colored papel picado (cut paper banners), candles and flower-and-memento-filled ofrendas created by local families and artists.
A members preview, Friday, Oct. 23, from 6 to 8 p.m. includes a silent auction and first opportunity to purchase artwork from participating artists. To become a member of the Museum of Northern Arizona, call 928-774-5211, ext. 219.
The Museum of Northern Arizona is at 3101 N. Fort Valley Road, three miles from downtown Flagstaff on scenic Highway 180 leading to the Grand Canyon.
Event admission is $12 adult and $8 student (with ID), American Indian (with tribal affiliation) and youth (10-17). Children under 10 and MNA members are free.
Celebraciones is made possible through the Arizona Commission on the Arts which receives support from the State of Arizona and the National Endowment for the Arts, Arizona Humanities, City of Flagstaff BBB Revenues and Flagstaff Arts Council.
For more information, visit musnaz.org, 928.774.5213 or contact Flagstaff Nuestras Raíces at contact@flagstaffnuestrasraices.org for more information.
Click here to view a slideshow of the Mariachi Mass at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church
Once again the sounds of violas and guitars could be heard when Mariachi Azteca de Sol from Tucson performed its annual Mariachi Mass on Sunday June 28 at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church in Flagstaff.
Father Patrick Mower celebrated the Mass as more than 100 people attended the second annual gathering, which is held the day after the “Flagstaff Summertime Tardeada & Car Show” on the grounds of the church.
Mariachi Azteca de Sol performed outside, welcoming the faithful to the church, and then performed during the services and again outside to conclude the event.
New this year was a second performance to follow at San Francisco de Asis Catholic Church on Route 66.
Thank you to supporters who donated funds to bring the Mariachi Mass to Flagstaff.
Click here to view a slideshow of the Posole / Menudo breakfast
The aroma of posole and menudo filled the air when Flagstaff Nuestras Raíces presented its second annual breakfast following the Mariachi Mass on Sunday, June 28 at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church in Flagstaff.
Money raised during the breakfast will be used in the group’s Cultural Heritage Fund, which includes the renovation of the Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church Cultural Center, aka “The Basement.”
Within the past two years the center has undergone a significant make-over including new drywall, painting, the addition of a mural celebrating the installation of the Our Lady of Guadalupe wooden statue, which was once localed in the old Catholic school in Plaza Vieja, and the initial installation of historical photos featuring the history of the church.
Future plans include installation of historical vestments and chalices, new flooring and new lighting.
Flagstaff Nuestras Raíces has sought to work with groups within the Catholic Parish to breath new life to the historical site, which became a chapel following the construction of the San Francisco de Asis Catholic Church on Route 66, which resulted in the consolidation of three former church sites in the city.
Those efforts have resulted in annual Mariachi Masses at Our Lady of Guadalupe, the annual “Flagstaff Summertime Tardeada & Car Show,” the lighting of luminaries at both Our Lady of Guadalupe and the lane leading up to San Francisco de Asis Catholic Church and the annual Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe dinner at the center on Dec. 12.
Thanks to community members, volunteers and supports of Flagstaff Nuestras Raíces for making those efforts successful.
A Mariachi Mass will be held at 10 a.m. Sunday, June 28 at the Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church with Mariachi Sol Azteca.
The Mass will be followed by a Menudo / Posole breakfast in the basement to benefit the Flagstaff Nuestras Raíces Cultural Heritage Fund.
A second Mariachi Mass with Mariachi Sol Azteca at 12:15 p.m. Sunday, June 28 at San Francisco de Asis Church, 1600 East Route 66, Flagstaff.
The public is invited to both events. Visit www.flagstaffnuestrasraices.org, http://www.flagstaffnuestrasraices.com or send an email to contact@flagstaffnuestrasraices.org for more information.
Come back to view more photos from “Flagstaff Summertime Tardeada 2015″
Several hundred visitors flocked to the parking lot of Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church and Flagstaff Nuestras Raíces to attend the second annual “Flagstaff Summertime Tardeada” fiesta on Saturday, June 27.
The Tardeada, a vibrant afternoon festival and social dance celebrating Flagstaff’s Hispanic culture and community history, drew even a larger crowd than the 500 visitors who attended the 2014 event.
The church is a significant site because it was the pride and centerpiece of the Hispanic community when it was built in the late 1920s by Flagstaff Hispanic pioneer families, who had strong bonds to the church.
The entertainment stage featured Ballet Folklorico de Colores – Flagstaff; dance music presented by Grupo Fierro of Tucson; Desierto de Colores Ballet Folklorico de Holbrook; Flagstaff Artists Unidos featuring Alena Chavez, Monico Nunez, Steve Carrillo and Tim Valdez; Compania de Danza Folklorica Arizona from Tucson and the showcase group, Mariachi Sol Azteca from Tucson.
Flagstaff Nuestras Raíces extends its heartfelt thanks to the record number of sponsors to who came out to support this year’s Tardeada.
Artist Vangie Rodriguez led students during a Cinco de Mayo-inspired art class held at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church & Cultural Arts Center on Friday, May 1. The next “Paint & Wine in the Pines” is tentatively scheduled for Friday, June 5. Click here or here to get the latest information.
Visit www.FlagstaffNuestrasRaices.org or send an email to contact@FlagstaffNuestrasRaices.org for more information.
Remembering Our Culture & History 