‘Special celebration’: Día de los Muertos draws hundreds to honor Latin American culture

A celebration of life, death and Latin American culture drew hundreds to a colorful Día de los Muertos event in downtown Las Vegas on Sunday.

The Day of the Dead, a Mexican holiday traditionally celebrated Nov. 1 and 2, honors lost loved ones and offers a celebration of their memory.

Generations of Nevadans went to the Civic Center Plaza outside Las Vegas City Hall for a community celebration. On the plaza’s stage, a middle school mariachi band blew trumpets and bowed violins. Later, girls in flowy dresses adorned with vibrant flowers danced.

The girls were taught about their moves by Martha Luevanos, who 56 years ago moved to Nevada from Ciudad Juárez in Mexico, where she was a professional dancer.

Her son, Gerardo Luevanos, said she choreographs the dances, sews the intricate dresses and teaches the girls “to honor their culture and the traditions of their forefathers.”

“We know we’re all gonna pass on at some point,” he said. “You can remember that they’re no longer with us, and you get emotional about that, but it’s also celebrating all the magic and beautiful memories that they gave us.”

Martha Luevanos said the dances help remind her of her home country and celebrate that country with the generations after her.

“Back in the day, before we had pictures and recordings, you had to pass on the stories verbally,” Martha Luevanos, whose son translated her words were translated from Spanish.

In Mexico, Luevanos said she recalled previous Días de los Muertos where she visited the cemetery where her loved ones are buried.

“They’re no longer with us, but I feel like they’re able to see us from above,” she said. “They’re in a happy mood because they see us in a happy mood.”

Food trucks at the event sold tacos, churros, aguas frescas and New Mexican cuisine. Colorful altars, known as ofrendas, displayed candles, candy skulls and flowers. One ofrenda was dedicated to pets who have died this year.

A half-dozen small businesses set up shop at the plaza, as well. Erik Moreno Narciso helped his mother, Teresa Narciso, sell a host of Catholic goods, including rosaries, communion outfits and statuettes of religious figures.

Moreno Narciso has helped his mother’s business since his grandmother died in 2020. He said Día de los Muertos helps him cope with the death by showing he isn’t experiencing grief alone.

“Our time here on Earth is very short, and the only way we can really have an impact with our lives is to accept the people around us,” Moreno Narciso said. “It’s just a way for us to stay connected, even if they are not physically with us.”

He added: “It’s a very special celebration.”

Contact Spencer Levering at [email protected] or 702-383-0253.