VISTA–The community is invited to celebrate Dia de los Muertos — or the Day of the Dead — in a vibrant family festival at historic Rancho Guajome Adobe in Vista.
The festival is a first for Guajome, but Dia de los Muertos is a widely celebrated 3,000-year-old Mexican tradition, a time when lost loved ones return home to their families in spirit to enjoy the best of life once again.
Dia de los Muertos at Rancho Guajome takes place from noon to 6 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 29 at 2210 N. Santa Fe. Ave. in Vista. Admission is $2 for adults 13 and older, $1 for children ages 4-12 and free for children under 3.
Altars of remembrance built by community members, with symbolic offerings such as food, toys and flowers, will be on display throughout the 22-room adobe ranch house.
Outside, Ballet Folklorico troops, norteño act “Los 4 de San Diego” and female equestrian drill team “Escaramuza Charra las Golondrinas” will entertain. Kids can get their faces painted, ride in a tractor-drawn wagon, or take part in numerous hands-on activities including a “ghost-making” craft, adobe brick-making and tissue flower-making.
Food, arts and craft vendors, and exhibits will also be on hand.
The County Department of Parks and Recreation is hoping for a huge community turnout at this inaugural event that will introduce new families to Rancho Guajome Adobe, a National Historic Landmark, and its surrounding 112 acres. The restored 7,000-square-foot home, appointed with period furnishings, gives visitors a look into the rancho’s history during the Mexican and American era.
The event is co-sponsored by the San Diego County Parks Society.
For more information about the Dia del los Muertos at Rancho Guajome, the public can call (760) 724-4082, or visit www.sdparks.org.
