Celebraciones de la Gente

Flagstaff Nuestras Raíces celebrates Día de los Muertos with annual “Celebraciones de la Gente” festival

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FLAGSTAFF — Each autumn the celebration of Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) has become a beloved tradition in the American Southwest and elsewhere in the United States.

With connections to present-day celebrations in Mexico and traditions dating back to the Aztecs and other indigenous cultures in the Americas, the event is celebrated each year with the lighting of candles, the spreading of marigold petals and the aroma of burning resin from the copal tree.

For this is a time when the veil between the living and the dead is at its thinest point, where families remember the dearly departed with the creation of ofrendas (altars) filled with photos of departed family and friends, where the aroma of marigolds and copal beckon the dearly departed to spend some precious time with the living.

In recent years, knowledge of the event has spread widely to the general public thanks to such popular movies as “Coco,” “The Book of Life” and other media.

But if you harken back to the early 2000s, only a few families in Northern Arizona were familiar with Día de los Muertos. Yes, many families have always had a place in their homes to place photos of their departed loved ones and maybe even light a candle in their honor. And some recent immigrants from Mexico recall that special time in Autumn when family members would tidy up the graves of their ancestors, light candles, place marigolds and spend the night of Nov. 1 telling stories of their ancestors to keep their memories alive. The region of Oaxaca has become a center of the celebrations in Mexico, which also include parades, the creation and sale of Sugar Skulls and Pan de Muerto (bread of the dead).

So how did the larger tradition of Día de los Muertos come about in Northern Arizona, a tradition that has since spread to Day of the Dead celebrations in Sedona, Prescott, Phoenix, Tucson and elsewhere in Arizona?

As recalled by longtime members of Flagstaff Nuestras Raíces, the local tradition began with a fundraiser to support the creation and growth of Ballet Folklorico de Colores — Flagstaff. The first celebrations were held in the early 2000’s in the basement of what is now the downtown Old Town Shops, which was the former JCPenny store.

NR member Armando Gonzalez recalls a conversation he had with then City Councilmember Art Babbitt about using the basement for the initial celebration.

“In that time it was a premier event for Ballet Folklorico, which has grown to a level one group which represents all of Flagstaff well,” Gonzalez said. In fact, in recent years BF has performed at the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series at the Phoenix Raceway, Cinco de Mayo and Day of the Dead celebrations (next on Nov. 1, 2026) at Tlaquepaque in Sedona and the Coconino County Fair (next on Sept. 6, 2026).

However, the Day of the Dead celebration in downtown Flagstaff grew so popular that the 200 or so tickets were quickly sold out, with people lined up around the block seeking to get in, Gonzalez said.

The event eventually moved to Sinagua High School where the crowds continued to grow. It was at this point in 2003 that representatives from the Museum of Northern Arizona asked NR members to create an event to celebrate local Hispanic culture and history. MNA representatives seeking a partnership with NR included Executive Director Dr. Robert Bruening. board member Bob Lomadapki and others.

At the time, the museum was seeking to expand attendance of its “Festival of Hispanic Arts and Culture” (Hispanic Marketplace) event which was held in late May.

Soon NR members like Delia Munoz, Armando Gonzalez and others sat down and sketched out what would become a vibrant Day of the Dead celebration. In fact, it was Delia Munoz who came up with the name of the new event — “Celebraciones de la Gente” (Celebration of the People).

The first event was held in the Autumn of 2003. And while some members of the museum were excited with the idea of holding a festive event that included pumpkins, witches and other Halloween-themed ideas, NR members were soon able to expand their knowledge of the true meaning of Day of the Day.

Over the years the event has grown to a two-day celebration featuring a couple dozen family altars / ofrendas placed around the historic Jaime Major Golightly Courtyard, annual performances by Ballet Folklorico de Colores — Flagstaff, music by a variety of mariachi and other musicians, performances by Aztec dancers, cultural lectures, sugar skull-making workshops, food and arts & craft vendors.

As the popularity of “Celebraciones de la Gente” continues to grow, members of Flagstaff Nuestras Raíces look forward to continuing and expanding this event with more community-friendly programming and education outreach efforts.

**Click above to see larger image of our annual commemorative shirt collection.**

Below are some highlights of Celebraciones de la Gente

See links to more annual stories below

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2025 Celebraciones de la Gente

Photos by Laura Ortiz / Click on photo to see slideshow

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2024 Celebraciones de la Gente

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2023 Celebraciones de la Gente

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Community enjoys opening night of Celebraciones de la Gente on Oct. 26, 2012

Members of the Museum of Northern Arizona and their guests celebrated the “Member’s Preview” of the 9th annual Celebraciones de la Gente on Friday, Oct. 26, 2012 in Flagstaff.

The Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebration was produced in partnership with Flagstaff Nuestras Raices. Visitors were welcomed by the Museum’s Director Dr. Robert Breunig, along with Flagstaff Nuestras Raices President Lydia Anaya.

Visitors had the opportunity to visit the museum’s courtyard and see the nearly two dozen candlelite ofrendas (altars), enjoy music and food.

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Visitors enjoy first full day of Celebraciones de la Gente on Oct. 27, 2012

Visitors to the Museum of Northern Arizona had the opportunity to see folklorico and mariachi performances, stroll around the historic courtyard and visit nearly two dozen ofrendas (altars), enjoy food and visit arts and crafts booths during the first full day of the 9th annual Celebraciones de la Gente on Saturday, Oct. 27, 2012.

The event was presented by the museum and partner Flagstaff Nuestras Raices.

The Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebration featured a “Lively Day of the Dead Celebration” including music, ofrendas, Heritage insight presentations, workshops, Ballet Folklorico.

Performers include Maríachí Sol Azteca, Los Compadres and Ballet Folklorico de Colores of Flagstaff.

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2011 Celebraciones de la Gente