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Dia de Los Muertos Expo 2009 coming to Golden State Mall Nov. 2!

By: Cruz Ramos

Topics: cultural celebrations, Day Of The Dead, Dia de los Muertos
Location: 3201 F St. , Bakersfield, CA, 93301

THE GOLDEN STATE MALL PRESENTS THE 17TH ANNUAL DIA DE LOS MUERTOS EXPO    2009
 
Without a doubt, Bakersfield is the place where death is celebrated with much joy and celebration that fills us with colorful artistical representation and tradition which unifies the fine arts. It opens the doors and draws  us into the Mexican cultural world which is both religious and mythical. The Mexican Day of the Dead is akin to Memorial Day.
 
The struggling need to full the void in the arts has always prevailed due to policymakers neglect, lack of funding, schools' systems abolishing arts in education and lately the recession crisis.The people of Kern County rely on events such as these as an exposure, entertainment, unity of community, friends, families and involvement in the arts.
 
This celebration will take place on monday November 2, 2009 (Dia de Los Muertos is NOT a movable feast of convenience, our dearly departed visit us on THAT day) at "F"st. and Golden State Hwy, initiating with a 6pm street procession of skeletons, artists, aficionados, famous dead actors,  poets, musicians, skateboarders and the public. The artistical representation of dancers, musicians, actors, writers, and poets will generously share publicly the memorial honors for the dearly departed. There will also be shrines and offerings, foods, exposition of works of art by 12 local artists (at this writing) ,photography, crafts, fashions,papier mache skeletons,sugar skulls, day of the dead sweet bread, skeleton themed booths, embroiderers, crafts from Oaxaca,  a facial airbrush painter, a 10 foot high stilted man artist dressed in full skeleton attire will partake as the  towering spectacle in the street procession and much more.
 
Scheduled in the musical program are Bakersfield's finest entertainers, Bands "Mento Buru," "Velorio," Award winning and champion Folkloric groups "Skeletos," "Grupo Folklorico Escuelas Unidas," "SoLuna,"  "Solunita," "The Famous Dead," (Mae West, Michael Jackson, Marilyn Monroe, Frida Kalo, Jose Guadalupe Posadas, tentative Buck Owens). This cast will perform at 6:30 p.m. on the second floor  Golden State Mall  Ballroom adjacent to the Concourse Exhibit Hall. The event runs noon to 10 p.m. There is room for 2000 "dead or live ones."

For more information, call 661-345-5842 or sign up to help. Admission is free.