Grand Park pays tribute to the cultural tradition of Día de los Muertos—Day of the Dead—with a 12-day public art installation taking place from October 22 through November 2, 2021. The ninth annual Grand Park’s Downtown Día de los Muertos honors people, places and ideas that merit reverence and commemoration through free, family-friendly programming. Presented in partnership with Self Help Graphics & Art, Grand Park’s Downtown Día de los Muertos is a community-oriented space inviting park-goers to contribute to the community altar, created by 2018 NEA National Heritage Fellow Ofelia Esparza, and to stroll through the park to view 20 altars made by professional artists and local community organizations, including East Los Angeles Women’s Center, Community Power Collective and Eastside LEADS, among others. The large, artistic altars will be spaced safely to enhance public engagement and maximize social distancing among guests. A major highlight will be the return of the annual Noche de Ofrenda (“Night of the Offerings”) in-person ceremony on Saturday, October 23, 2021, at 7:00 p.m., featuring a performance by Danza Divina de Los Angeles with special guest and legacy danzante General Lazaro Arvizu, as well as free LACMA led calavera (“skull”) art workshops inspired by Aztec art, open to all ages. Noche de Ofrenda is a contemplative ceremony and night of reflection that connects communities to traditions and highlights indigenous practices during a contemporary celebration. Parkgoers must wear face coverings when attending the Noche de Ofrenda event.
Grand Park’s Downtown Día de los Muertos Activities:
Grand Park’s Día de los Muertos Altars and Art Installations
October 22–November 2, 2021
5:30 a.m.–10:00 p.m. (normal park hours of operation)
Location: Grand Park (between Grand Avenue and Hill Street)
Guests can experience, hear and learn about the traditions of Día de los Muertos and stroll through largescale altar and art installations located throughout Grand Park, curated by Self Help Graphics, including the annual community altar created by maestra Ofelia Esparza and her family. An artist and educator, Esparza continues to be instrumental in preserving and conserving the Día de los Muertos tradition in Los Angeles, and the community altar in Grand Park creates an opportunity for Angelenos to contribute their own personal ofrendas and mementos to honor a passed loved one. All personally and culturally relevant to Los Angeles, the 20 altar installations create a connection of vital community issues, critical leaders and loved ones that are important to Angelenos. This year’s altars will include an homage to the late Chicana activist, author and community organizer, Betita Martínez, as well as altars honoring the LGBTQ community and the loss of community resources during the pandemic. To deepen appreciation and provide context of the public art installations, Grand Park will offer attendees the option of listening to pre-recorded audio guides with insights from the artists to complement altar viewing. Park-goers can access the storytelling through Grand Park’s digital channels.
To deepen appreciation and provide context of the public art installations, Grand Park offers the option of listening to the pre-recorded audio guides with insights by the artists to complement altar viewing.
Noche de Ofrenda
October 23, 2021
7:00 p.m.–9:00 p.m.
Location: Grand Park Performance Lawn (Near Hill Street)
Suspended last year due to the pandemic, the traditional Noche de Ofrenda ceremony honoring the dead returns to Grand Park as a live event and performance. A co-presentation by Grand Park and Self Help Graphics, the joint event of reflection and remembrance will feature a communal circle and blessing led by the indigenous community and also include poetry and dance. In a continued partnership with Grand Park, LACMA will host two family-friendly arts-based workshops dedicated to making personalized calavera—one of the most recognizable cultural and artistic elements of the Day of the Dead festivities. Each 20-minute workshop held throughout Noche de Ofrenda will engage kids to create their own calavera using air dry clay, paper plates and other craft items as LACMA teaching artists show park-goers how to sculpt, shape and transform ordinary materials into colorful Día de Los Muertos artworks. LACMA will also host a “Tree of Life” in Grand Park encouraging park-goers to write the name of a passed loved one on a colorful ribbon; the name and ribbon will remain placed on the tree in remembrance for the duration of Grand Park’s Downtown Día de los Muertos.
Go Metro:
METRO B LINE (RED) OR D LINE (PURPLE) TO CIVIC CENTER/GRAND PARK STATION. USE TRANSIT APP FOR MORE ROUTE OPTIONS.
There are three Metro Bike Share stations within walking distance of Grand Park:
- Hope & 1st
- 2nd & Hill
- Grand & Temple
Check the station map online or in the Metro Bike Share app to view bike and dock availability.
Grand Park is an LA County park powered by The Music Center.
From our friends at the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health: During these challenging times you may feel worried, sad, lonely or unsettled. Please find mental health resources below that can help you.
HOTLINES
- LACDMH Help Line (24/7): 800-854-7771
- Crisis Text Line (24/7): text HOME to 741741
- National Suicide Prevention Hotline (24/7): 800-273-8255
SUPPORT GROUPS
- Our House Greif Support Center (English & Spanish)
- Didi Hirsch Suicide Attempt & Bereavement Support Groups
- MISS Foundation Support Group for Bereaved Parents
GRIEF & LOSS RESOURCES
- Coping with the Loss of a Loved One (LACDMH)
- Semana de Bienestar (Our House Grief Support Center)
- Everyone Grieves in Their Own Way (Our House Grief Support Center)
- Grieving Assistance Centers (throughout LA County)
- Coping with Grief & Loss (HelpGuide)
- Grief and Loss (LAUSD)
- Comfort Zone Camp for Grieving Children
OTHER RESOURCES
- Anti-Racism Resources (LACDMH)
- Healing Through Story (LACDMH)
- LA vs Hate
- Imagination Workshop (UCLA Semel Institute)
- Latinx Therapy (Podcast & Resources)
- The Trevor Project (LGBTQ Youth)
- The Loveland Foundation (African American Women & Girls)
- Black Emotional & Mental Health Collective
- Mental Health Resources for the Black Community (American Foundation for Suicide Prevention)
- We R Native
- Asian Mental Health Project
Ring in the new year with Grand Park’s New Year’s Eve L.A. virtual celebration and count down to 2022 with Kinky, DUCKWRTH, Esty and hosts Mando Fresko & Bryhana!
Watch the livestream here: https://youtu.be/nHQoIhSKTfE
Get dressed in your Grand Park’s #NYELA best and snap a photo with our virtual photo booth: https://app.virtualbooth.me/booth/Vdgz2XG4
Grand Park announced that Grand Park’s NYELA Countdown to 2022 will no longer host a live invite-only audience of L.A. County’s frontline workers and first responders. Grand Park, which is operated by The Music Center, works closely with the County of Los Angeles Department of Public Health and has developed strict protocols to help ensure the safety of the public, artists, crew and staff members. In this case, however, given the recent uptick in COVID-19 cases in the county, The Music Center/Grand Park team determined the safest route to continue with this popular annual tradition would be to eliminate a live audience.
While there will no longer be a live audience, the event will be produced as a broadcast and streamed program as previously planned and will be accessible to everyone on Grand Park’s YouTube channel (@GrandParkLosAngeles) and on Fuse (check your local listings) at 11:00 p.m. PST on December 31, 2021. The event will feature headliner Kinky and additional music performances by Esty and DUCKWRTH in Grand Park and the signature countdown video projection onto L.A.’s iconic City Hall building.
Go Metro:
METRO B LINE (RED) OR D LINE (PURPLE) TO CIVIC CENTER/GRAND PARK STATION. USE TRANSIT APP FOR MORE ROUTE OPTIONS.
There are three Metro Bike Share stations within walking distance of Grand Park:
- Hope & 1st
- 2nd & Hill
- Grand & Temple
Check the station map online or in the Metro Bike Share app to view bike and dock availability.
Grand Park is an LA County park powered by The Music Center.
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