Latinos en Evanston North Shore hosted its fifth annual Día de los Muertos celebration at Evanston Public Library’s Robert Crown branch Saturday, inviting community members to honor deceased loved ones.
A month of work went into organizing the celebration, from coordinating with community volunteers to the construction of the ofrenda, which took place the day before the ceremony, LENS president Fabiola Zdrubecky said. She explained that in current times, it was imperative to host this celebration for the Latino community in Evanston.
“For Latinos, we want them to feel proud of their heritage. We want them to feel like they belong,” Zdrubecky said. “For other communities, we want to share our culture with them.”
The celebration’s ofrenda has a unique theme each year, which is conveyed through offerings, candles, pictures and an arch where the spirits of the deceased are believed to come from heaven to Earth.
This year’s ofrenda was dedicated to deceased immigrants in the Chicago area, honoring their sacrifices and commitment to the American dream in spite of the adversity that immigrants are facing today, Zdrubecky explained.
“They came, they worked hard and put their lives at risk, and they felt that the United States of America is a beautiful place to be,” Zdrubecky said.
The Evanston Police Department provided an increased security presence at Robert Crown to ensure all members of the community could celebrate freely, LENS Vice President Mayra Moreno said.
The event featured a presentation of the ofrenda, youth music performances, Spanish children’s book readings and a showing of the 2017 animated film “Coco.”
Cellists from the Music Institute of Chicago’s Third Coast Suzuki Cello Program, between 4 and 17 years old, performed traditional instrumental songs they learned in recent group lessons. The program provides tuition-free music education to Latino students in Evanston.
This was the program’s second year performing at the Día de los Muertos celebration. After nearly a semester of rehearsal, cello instructor Bianca d’Avila do Prado was excited to share the ensemble’s performance with the community.
“I think (the performance) is great for the families because today is such an important part of their culture,” d’Avila do Prado said. “I’m really happy that we can involve our kids and they can share their music with the community.”
While many Latino residents gathered to celebrate their culture, they were not the only ones in attendance. People of various cultures and backgrounds gathered at Robert Crown to show support for their Latino neighbors and appreciate the holiday, including Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss.
Evanston resident Chan Richardson was introduced to Día de los Muertos by a close friend more than 30 years ago, she said. While she usually attends the holiday’s celebration in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood, she happened to encounter the Evanston event on a visit to the community center that day and decided to stay.
“I love that (Día de los Muertos) is about celebrating the dead,” Richardson said. “We tend to forget them, unfortunately, being so busy in our daily lives.”
Residents from all corners of the community enjoyed themselves over hot chocolate, pan de muerto and live music throughout the late afternoon
LENS, EPL, Evanston Community Foundation, Evanston Parks, Recreation and Community Services, Learn Spanish Program and the Music Institute of Chicago all pitched in to organize and put on the event this year.
“It’s the biggest collaboration we’ve ever had,” Zdrubecky said.
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