The McLean County Museum of History will host a free community event to celebrate Día de Muertos [Day of the Dead] on Saturday, Nov. 1, from 3 to 7 p.m.
Miriam Padilla Cruz of Bloomington is the creative head behind an intricate altar offering erected in honor of the Mexican celebration at the museum. The altar offering in Spanish is called ofrenda. Padilla Cruz said the tradition is steeped in symbolism predating the Spanish colonization of Mexico.
"We don't honor death. What we honor is the love, affection, and respect that our loved ones had for us in life, and with these kinds of offerings, we are not letting them die," Padilla Cruz told WGLT.
Padilla Cruz, a native of the state of Mexico, said what began as an activity to impart identity to her daughters after immigrating to the U.S. has become a family affair.
"The first two altars were completely a personal piece, and little by little my daughters became involved," she said, and as the altars became more elaborate her husband, Jesus Islas, became involved.
Islas constructed a large wooden frame to sustain the ofrenda in line with this year's theme: a mausoleum. The decorations took Padilla Cruz, her daughters, and several volunteers two months to assemble and will include a handmade rotunda, an ofrenda, and hundreds of marigold pompoms.
"We've been working with Miriam for the last five years now, and every year she has a grander idea," said McLean County Museum of History Director of Communications Micaela Harris.
Harris, whose grandfather was Mexican, said collaborating with Padilla Cruz on the ofrenda connects her to a heritage lost through assimilation.
"And I think it's really central to the museum's mission that we share the stories of all of the people of McLean County, not just the dead white ones from 100 years ago, but all of the people that live here that have made an impact here, and that call McLean County home," she said.
Harris said around 400 people attended last year's event. They anticipate a similar turnout on Saturday but safety concerns surrounding U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids is a concern. She said internal and external conversations were had with community members and local organizations like the Immigration Project to ensure the event is a safe space.
"The threats to our communities are very real, this is a very scary time," Harris said.
Cancelling the event was proposed, but Harris said the consensus among community members and Padilla Cruz was to keep going.
"We deserve to celebrate; we deserve to share in this joy and to come together. I think it's really important that we can do that in this time. We have safety plans, and contingency plans. We are ready for whatever comes, but we strive for this to be a safe space for people to gather and share stories, and that is of the utmost importance to us," she said.
The event will feature a food truck, art-making activity by artist Hannah Johnson, live music, and a traditional dance, sharing the story of the Day of the Dead at 4 p.m., by Tiyoli Velasquez.
The altar features photos of deceased loved ones; last year Padilla Cruz said they featured around 300 photos. To add a loved one to the community altar, museum staff said patrons can bring a 5" x 7" or smaller photocopy image.
A dozen local groups, such as Latinos en BloNo and The Immigration Project, will host activities on all four floors of the museum.
Free parking is available on the streets around the square and in the Lincoln Parking Deck located a block south of the museum on Front Street in Downtown Bloomington.
