KING CITY — Sol Treasures and La Cocina partnered last Friday to present King City’s first-ever Illuminated Procession, a lighted parade celebrating the Mexican tradition of Dia de los Muertos, the Day of the Dead.
An estimated 500 spectators lined Broadway Street to watch the evening parade, while more than 130 visitors also stopped by the Sol Treasures gallery to view the corresponding exhibit, “Honor Our Ancestors, Lost But Not Forgotten,” featuring local artwork that reflected such symbols of the holiday as sugar skulls and altars.
A Meet the Artists event was held at the gallery prior to the parade, during which visitors could talk with the artists and have their faces painted for the celebration.
The Illuminated Procession of about 100 participants traveled the length of Broadway, beginning at Third Street and ending six blocks later at La Cocina — the local open-air market outside JV Automobiles — for dance, music and a ceremonial burning of “mensajes,” messages to the departed.
Sol Treasures and La Cocina put on the multicultural event Nov. 2 to honor the community’s ancestors and educate local youth about the Mexican holiday.
