San Diego celebrates Día de Los Muertos

The event is known as a celebration of life for loved ones who have passed.

It included a candlelight procession of Aztec dancers, a Catrina contest, and different activities.

San Diegans honored their loved ones by placing a picture of them in a colorful community altar filled with marigolds to honor their memory.

“My son passed away about two and a half years ago and this was our favorite place,” Elizabeth Arellano said.

“My grandma was my favorite human being growing up and she used to say I love you to the moon and back,” Edward Clark said.

“Oh, she is dancing in heaven with The Lord that is for sure,” Melissa Sinclair said.

With traditional costumes, foods, and music, thousands of San Diegans celebrated to lives of loved ones who have passed.

“We want to keep their memory alive in our hearts and pass it on to our children,” Esther Gallardo said.

Colorful altars known as offerings displaying photos and offerings to keep the memory of their loved ones alive.

“All the beautiful folk art that surrounds and all the colors, just brings life to it, versus loss,” another woman said.  

Others honored their loved ones through art.

“She was such a colorful woman, very vibrant, very alive so I wanted to do something vibrant that represented my mom,” Melissa Sinclair said.

“I imagine her just beaming right now she’s proud of us,” Melissa Sinclair said.

Everyone was connected by a shared experience of loss.

“It kind of fills their absence with memories,” one woman said. “It brings a sense of community, and you don’t feel quite so alone in the grief.”

The event concluded with a candlelight procession followed by a showing of the Disney movie Coco in the Park.