After 10 years of bringing families together to celebrate their culture and remember loved ones who have passed, Raza United is preparing for one final Día de los Muertos celebration at Madison East High School this weekend.
The 10th annual celebration will take place Saturday, Nov. 7, with two performances, food, crafts, music and dance. But for organizers, this year’s event will carry special meaning as they prepare to close a chapter that has become an important tradition for students, families and the broader Madison community.
“Although we would love to continue to do the show, I wish we had more support,” says Silvia Gomez, East High School’s bilingual resource specialist, Raza United advisor and a longtime organizer of Dia de los Muertos.
After years of dedicating hundreds of hours to organizing the celebration, Gomez says the lack of consistent funding and sponsorships has made it increasingly difficult to sustain an event of its size.
The celebration, which is a fundraiser for Raza United and Ballet Folklorico de Maria Diaz, relies heavily on parents and families who volunteer their time and resources, including preparing food, helping with decorations and supporting the performers.
“It’s just a lot of work, a lot of organizing, a lot of time, and not a lot of financial support,” Gomez says.
The event began in December 2015 as a winter performance called “Una Noche en México,” primarily intended to raise funds for Ballet Folklórico de María Díaz. Raza United helped organize the event and recruit volunteers, and the inaugural show received a positive response from the community.
The following year, in November 2016, the event returned as “Una Noche en México: Edición Día de los Muertos.”
Organizers eventually moved the celebration to the first week of November and gave it a Día de los Muertos theme, creating an annual opportunity to honor ancestors and introduce younger generations to the traditions surrounding the Mexican holiday.
The event took a two-year hiatus in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Over the years, the event has grown to include multiple mariachi groups, folklórico dancers, singers, food vendors, crafts and a community altar.
“Every year, the event has gotten bigger and better, and I wish we could keep it going,” Gomez says. “But funding has become a major challenge. We work hard to fundraise, but the money we bring in doesn’t match the time, expenses and support required to put on an event of this size. If the City were willing to help fund it or we received a significant donation, I would absolutely keep it going.
“I recently spoke with a restaurant owner whose children attend East High. He already knew this was going to be our last show and he expressed how sad he was because his wife has taken their children to the celebration every year,” she continues. “When he asked about the expenses, I mentioned a few of them, and he offered to sponsor several costumes for next year if we decide to bring the event back. I was so happy to hear that and told him I would gladly take him up on the offer if we can continue.”
Gomez adds that she recently received a $300 donation from Gunderson Funeral Home to support this year’s celebration. “These are the kinds of donations that make a tremendous difference. My hope is that if people want to see this tradition continue, they will consider supporting it through donations and sponsorships,” she says.
This Saturday’s performances will feature Mariachi Corcel de Madison, Mariachi Los Matadores de East High and Mariachi Juvenil de Madison, a newer, citywide youth mariachi group. Ballet Folklórico de María Díaz will also perform, along with additional singers. Doors open at noon, with performances scheduled for 1 p.m. and 5 p.m.
Food prepared and donated by East High School Latino families will be available, along with crafts made by students and community members.
For Gomez, the celebration’s importance goes beyond the performances and festivities. Día de los Muertos is about keeping the memories of loved ones alive.
She described a Mexican cultural belief that people experience three deaths: the first when their heart stops beating, the second when they are buried and the third when the last person who remembers them says their name.
“We don’t want to get to that last one because we want to continue that memory,” Gomez says. “We want to continue remembering.”
One of the most meaningful parts of the annual celebration is a slideshow honoring community members’ deceased loved ones. Families are invited to submit photographs and names, which are displayed during the performance of “Amor Eterno,” the iconic song about enduring love and loss.
Gomez says the slideshow has become an especially emotional moment for attendees, allowing families to see their loved ones remembered and honored by the community.
This year, organizers will also have a community altar where attendees can bring photographs of loved ones and place them as part of the display.
While the Nov. 7 celebration will be the final one organized by the current team, Gomez hopes the tradition will continue in some form.
“I want to continue doing it, but as I said, if we had the funding,” she says. “My hope is that someone else can basically take it.”
In the meantime, she is encouraging former performers, families, volunteers and community members to share their memories and photographs from the past decade.
Despite the bittersweet ending, Gomez says she is proud of what the community has built together.
The celebration, she adds, is open to everyone, regardless of their familiarity with Día de los Muertos.
“We don’t want to be gatekeepers of culture either,” Gomez says. “We want to share it.”
The 10th annual Día de los Muertos celebration will take place Saturday, Nov. 7, at Madison East High School. Doors open at noon, with performances at 1 p.m. and 5 p.m.
Those interested in supporting Mariachi Juvenil de Madison, Ballet Folklórico de María Díaz or East High School’s Raza United can contact Gomez at [email protected] for donation information.
