Arts & Culture

Dia Fort Wayne Celebrates Fine Old Traditions With New Twist

89.1 WBOI | By Julia Meek

Published October 12, 2018 at 6:04 PM EDT

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Eager Dia Fort Wayne's participants will be sporting faces painted in calavera, or sugar skull motif.

Courtesy/Dia Fort Wayne

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Last year's Dia Fort Wayne launch was a grand one!

Courtesy/Dia Fort Wayne

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Face painting is a big hit for the whole family

Courtesy/Dia Fort Wayne

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The fine art of calavera

Courtesy/Dia Fort Wayne

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Music will be shared all day and night

Courtesy/Dia Fort Wayne

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Dia Fort Wayne 2018

Courtesy/Dia Fort Wayne

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A young festivalgoer on parade.

Courtesy/Dia Fort Wayne

After last year's successful launch, co-chairs Sarah and Sal are thrilled to be offering even more community activity.

Dia Fort Wayne is a spirited Dia de los Muertos celebration, held in downtown Fort Wayne, at the University of Saint Francis Performing Arts Center.

Though that translates to "Day of the Dead," it's actually a celebration of life, and a time for everyone to remember their departed loved ones with a host of traditional customs.

Sarah's personal ofrenda shows how loved ones are welcomed to the altar.

And since the holiday itself, which originated in Mexico, coincides with Halloween, this festival shares the local spotlight with the city's annual celebration of Fright Night.

For a look at its creative take on those very traditional roots, WBOI's Julia Meek invited festival co-chairs, Sal Soto and Sarah Ellsworth-Hoffman, into the studio to discuss its intended purposes and scope.

Event Information:

Dia Fort Wayne @ USF Performing Arts Center
Saturday, October 20th, 2018
Starting at 11:00am

Daytime events are free and open to the public. For a listing of daytime activities and all evening events, visit the Dia Fort Wayne website.