Mother of nine, matriarch Ofelia Esparza learned how to make DÃa de los Muertos altars from her mother. Now, she’s passing on the craft to a new generation.
The annual Los Angeles Noche de Ofrenda in Grand Park—where DÃa de los Muertos blossomed into a national and international phenomenon— returns after a one-year hiatus.
After decades of dedicated work by Chicano artists in East L.A. to promote DÃa de los Muertos as a festival unique to their community, it is now a hyper-commercialized enterprise. Still, many are working to recenter the festival’s original intent of honoring the dead.