Bringing Life to a Neighborhood: Dia De Los Muertos in Fruitvale,
California
More than 50 percent of the Latino population of Oakland, California,
lives and works in the thriving neighborhood commercial district
known as Fruitvale, in the heart of the city. Since 1996, the
Fruitvale Main Street program—a neighborhood revitalization
effort operating under an umbrella organization known as the
Unity Council—has hosted an annual Dia de los Muertos Fruitvale
Festival in this community of 63,000. Dia de los Muertos, which
translates as Day of the Dead or All Soul's Day, is a traditional
indigenous holiday to honor departed loved ones and celebrate
the triumph of life. The festival, in addition to supporting
commercial revitalization efforts in Fruitvale, helps to preserve
and promote the traditions of the majority Spanish-speaking population,
strengthens family bonds, and demonstrates to the community’s
youth the value of cultures, creativity, and cooperation. Additionally,
the festival crosses ethnic boundaries and encourages tolerance
and understanding by introducing other communities to the richness
of Hispanic culture and traditions.
“We’ve learned that to be successful you have to
create a unique event that fits your community,” states
Darlene Rios Drapkin, Fruitvale Main Street program manager.
Dia de los Muertos features live entertainment by Latino musicians,
pavilions displaying works by Latino artists, and carefully crafted
altars created by families and friends to honor the dead. Altars
are decorated with symbolic items such as marigolds, fruit, chocolate,
and pictures of saints and the deceased. While the event has
a predominantly Hispanic influence, other ethnic groups have
embraced the holiday as well and have become an integral part
of the festival, creating altars of their own and adding diversity
to the festival offerings.
Fruitvale’s Dia de los Muertos festival requires two-and-a-half
staff people, more than 125 volunteers, and an annual operating
budget of $80,000. While the event is free, sponsorships have
grown to generate a profit that helps support the ongoing work
of the Fruitvale Main Street program. Success isn’t always
immediate. The
festival’s first year in 1996 posted a $3,000 loss, though
revenue has grown steadily each year since. In 2000,
the festival netted a total of $30,000.
The fifth annual Dia de los Muertos festival in 2000 attracted
70,000 people, making
it Oakland’s largest festival of the year, and marking
an upsurge in attendance from 2,000 people in 1996. Sixty percent
of attendees in 2000 were from the community.
“Success doesn’t come overnight. Be willing to grow
slowly so that you can learn from your mistakes and build on
your successes,” emphasizes Rios Drapkin.
Merchants have reported that their sales doubled the day of
the festival, and many merchants have noted festival-goers returning
to shop days after the festival. The event has been designated
by the Library of Congress as a permanent part of the American
Folklife Center’s collection.
More than 50 percent of the Latino population of Oakland, California,
lives and works in the thriving neighborhood commercial district
known as Fruitvale, in the heart of the city. Since 1996, the
Fruitvale Main Street program—a neighborhood revitalization
effort operating under an umbrella organization known as the
Unity Council—has hosted an annual Dia de los Muertos Fruitvale
Festival in this community of 63,000. Dia de los Muertos, which
translates as Day of the Dead or All Soul's Day, is a traditional
indigenous holiday to honor departed loved ones and celebrate
the triumph of life. The festival, in addition to supporting
commercial revitalization efforts in Fruitvale, helps to preserve
and promote the traditions of the majority Spanish-speaking population,
strengthens family bonds, and demonstrates to the community’s
youth the value of cultures, creativity, and cooperation. Additionally,
the festival crosses ethnic boundaries and encourages tolerance
and understanding by introducing other communities to the richness
of Hispanic culture and traditions. 
Dia de los Muertos features live entertainment by Latino musicians,
pavilions displaying works by Latino artists, and carefully crafted
altars created by families and friends to honor the dead. Altars
are decorated with symbolic items such as marigolds, fruit, chocolate,
and pictures of saints and the deceased. While the event has
a predominantly Hispanic influence, other ethnic groups have
embraced the holiday as well and have become an integral part
of the festival, creating altars of their own and adding diversity
to the festival offerings. 
“Success doesn’t come overnight. Be willing to grow
slowly so that you can learn from your mistakes and build on
your successes,” emphasizes Rios Drapkin.
