Springfield & Lane Memorial Gardens Honor Hispanic Culture with First-Ever Dia de los Muertos Celebrations

All area families invited to share in universal experience of love and remembrance

WHAT:

For the first time, Springfield Memorial Gardens and Lane Memorial Gardens will host Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) community celebrations. All are invited to this free, family-friendly cultural event that honors the memories of loved ones with music, culture and community connection. The event will take place rain or shine.

BACKGROUND:

Hispanics make up the largest minority in both Lane County & the State of Oregon. Rooted in ancient Indigenous customs blended with Catholic traditions, Día de los Muertos is a vibrant and heartfelt holiday observed throughout Mexico and Latin America. It is a deeply spiritual and communal time for families to gather, build ofrendas (altars) and honor the lives of their departed loved ones with food, flowers, music and memories. Children’s highlights will include a craft table and face painting. Light refreshments will be offered free-of-charge including coffee, hot chocolate and Pan de Muertos. Sharing pan de muertos signifies the continued bond between the living and the dead. Families may break off pieces of the bread, leaving them on the ofrenda as a gesture of remembrance. In addition, food trucks will offer food for purchase.

WHEN/WHERE:

• Springfield Memorial Gardens – 7305 Main Street, Springfield, OR (10 a.m.–1 p.m.)
• Lane Memorial Gardens – 5300 W. 11th Ave, Eugene, OR (2 p.m.–5 p.m.)

• Bilingual members of the Musgrove Family Mortuaries team
• Local clergy represented churches with Hispanic-language services and ministries
• Families who can share the importance of dias de los muertes traditions.

PHOTO/VIDEO OPPORTUNITIES:

• Live mariachi bands & Aztecan and Folklorico dance performances in both locations
• A special attraction in Springfield is the high school mariachi band, nationally recognized with appearances on Good Morning America & at the National Memorial Day Parade in Washington, D.C.
• Colorful skeletons and sugar skull mask craft table
• Alters with photos, favorite foods, and marigold petals to guide the spirits back home.
• Marigolds being placed on graves