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Muertos y Marigolds 2009

Slum dogs, gatos gordos, y hood rats were all present at the 2009 Muertos y Marigolds parade. After several years of hearing about this Dia de Los Muertos parade, we decided we were really missing out. First, we had to don the calavera makeup and proper attire.

Then we headed down to the South Valley around 3:15 or so, and lucked out, finding parking only a few blocks away from the parade's ending point. There were already quite a few folks lining the route, and although it was hard for our daughter to wait for the parade, she filled her time posing for endless pictures. And it was a lot of fun milling around with all of the other folks and checking out all of the amazing calavera makeup, masks, and costumes.

We could hear the parade before we could see it, and quickly realized we chose the wrong side of the street--taking pictures into the setting sun. So, the photos won't be great, but here's what we could get:

As we took photos of the parade, several of the parade entrants stopped to photograph all of the calaveras lined up in the crowd.

This entry was decked out with gatos gordos.

Senior esqueleto himself makes an appearance.

Catarina also watched from the sidelines.

All the little calaveras keeping an eye out for candy.

In addition to photographing into the sun, we also ran out of battery power, so we couldn't photograph the continuing festivities at the Westside Community Center, which included musicians, dancers, and other entertainment. Of course, there were many ofrendas, as well, including a poignant ofrenda to the missing women found on the West Mesa earlier this year. It was humbling to see them remembered, and to be reminded of those we've loved and lost.

The folks who organized this year's Muertos y Marigolds parade did a fantastic job. Thank you!

Tags: Dia de los Muertos, Muertos y Marigolds, calavera, parade

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Comment by cathyray on November 2, 2009 at 9:15am: looks like ya'll had a blast!!

Comment by abqmom on November 2, 2009 at 9:24am: the best parade in Albuquerque, imho (Corrales' parades run a close second).

Comment by mombat on November 2, 2009 at 9:33am: We had a good time too. Our camera was also out of batteries, so I need to get pics from my mom. The parade has really grown over the past few years. I was impressed at how many people were out watching and how many people hung out at the community center afterward.
Nice make up job!

Comment by JeSais on November 2, 2009 at 1:17pm

Comment by JeSais on November 2, 2009 at 1:18pm: Had a BLAST... this is now officially my favorite holiday... its fun, its poignant (I got a little teary at the ofrendas) and a wonderful way to honor those who have passed.

Comment by mombat on November 2, 2009 at 1:51pm: JeSais, THANK YOU! Those are great pics.

Comment by Poncho on November 2, 2009 at 9:46pm: We had a good time, but were only at the parade. We plan on going next year with enough time to also go to the community center. I did a short video:

Comment by Liza Wheeler on November 3, 2009 at 10:09am: Great photos, thanks for sharing!

Comment by Laura on November 4, 2009 at 10:12am: Thanks for sharing all the 'Fixer photos and videos! Everyone seems to capture something different, so it's great to see all the great shots. The parade was a blast, and it's topped my long (and growing) list of reasons I love living in ABQ.

See you all next year?

Comment by cc on November 5, 2009 at 6:51am: Thank you for this, Laura. We did not go. I heard about a great Wolf skeleton puppet and the ofrenda/altar for all the Mexican Wolves that have perished/been killed in the Gila restoration. When I heard about that, I really wished I'd gone.