“Ready, set, go!” Upon these words, skeletons, colorful flowers and creatures of all kinds raced through downtown Raleigh and the historic Oakwood Cemetery Saturday during the fifth annual Day of the Dead 5K. Roughly 700 runners participated in the race along with 65 children from the Brentwood Boys and Girls Club of Raleigh.
Following the morning race, the festivities continued during the afternoon with Day of the Dead altars, face painting, food trucks, artists, a costume-contest dance-off, music from the band Tercer Divisa and an award ceremony.
Angela Salamanca, the owner of Centro Mexican Restaurant, initially started the race. The race not only has the purpose of commemorating the holiday of Day of the Dead, but also raises funds for the Brentwood Boys and Girls Club, of which 80 percent of the children are Latino.
Pepe Caudillo, director of the Brentwood Boys and Girls Club and an organizer of the festival, said the 5K is a very important event for the organization and Raleigh community.
“There are many benefits [of the 5K], including exercise, the relationship between the club and Centro, the public getting to know the children and the celebration of a very important day,” Caudillo said.
With so many people interested in contributing to the cause and wanting to learn and participate in the celebration, the atmosphere of the race was buzzing with enthusiasm.
Alex Hyler, president of Sigma Delta Pi, the NC State University Spanish honors society, is one of the many who got involved in supporting the event and the Brentwood Boys and Girls Club.
“As a Spanish organization we respect what [Centro and Brentwood Boys and Girls Club] are doing,” Hyler said. “This is our second year participating in the race, and this year we were excited to sponsor a child to run.”
The Day of the Dead is a celebration dating back to the Aztec empire and is a major holiday in Mexican and some Central American cultures. Originally celebrated in the summer, the holiday now coincides with the Catholic All Saints’ and All Souls’ Days Nov. 1 and 2 respectively, according to University of New Mexico’s website.
One of the many customs that is important during this day is for individuals to create altars for their loved ones who have died. Marigolds are placed on the altar to attract the souls of the dead with their scent along with candles to illuminate the way. In addition, it is common for people to place photos of their deceased, notes, food and special objects that commemorate the individuals on the altars.
Taylor Hatfield, a junior studying human biology with minors in Spanish and English and a volunteer at the festival through the NC State organization VOLAR, said she enjoyed the opportunity to experience Day of the Dead.
“I really enjoyed getting hands-on experience with the Day of the Dead,” Hatfield said. “My role as a volunteer at the festival was explaining about the altar and how to contribute to it. I had never seen an altar in person before, but it was a nice experience as I was able to write a note to my great grandmother who passed away last year.”
The Day of the Dead and the role of the altars are not meant to be a sad or scary. It is an opportunity to honor memories and a chance to reconnect with the past.
“When you see an altar, the last thing you think of is death,” Caudillo said. “There are flowers, water and food so colorful that it is apparent someone is very alive there. For Mexicans including myself, death is a very special thing. There is a strong connection that cannot be broken because my parents observe this custom, my grandparents observed it, the parents of my grandparents observed it, and therefore I will also carry on the tradition.”
Centro and the Brentwood Boys and Girls Club created a race and festival for the community of Raleigh, but it also included the spirits of friends and family members.
“I was really excited my organization could come and observe the Hispanic culture but also that Hispanic families could come and immerse themselves in their own culture,” Hyler said.
Overall, the 5K was more than a run — it was a venue to learn about local restaurants, children of the community and an important holiday that has a long tradition.
The Raleigh tradition of the annual Centro Day of the Dead 5K and Street Festival is not one to miss, but there is still time to observe the holiday as the City of Raleigh Museum is hosting a display of the Day of the Dead altars, and many Catholic churches will be hosting services Nov. 1 and 2.
La sociedad de honor de español de NC State Sigma Delta Pi participó en el Día de los Muertos 5K del restaurante mexicano Centro. El festival fue sábado para conmemorar el Día de los Muertos además de recaudar fondos para el club del Brentwood Boys and Girls.
