T-R PHOTO BY ADAM SODDERS - Richard Ocampo, Jose Jimanez, Jr. and Jose Jimanez showcase traditional Morelos-style Día de los Muertos costumes.

Community members enjoy traditional music and spectacle at Midnight Garden in celebration of Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) on Sunday evening

Merry mariachi music, ornate traditional constumes, and a focus on the wellbeing of local pets all played a key roll in Marshalltown’s first community-level celebration of Día de los Muertos – Day of the Dead.

The event was hosted at Midnight Garden, in collaboration with the Marshalltown Animal Rescue League (ARL).

“I’ve wanted to do something for Día de Los Muertos ever since we opened Midnight garden back in 2022,” said venue owner Luisa Ortega.

She said she was excited to be able to provide a space for the community to gather and celebrate Day of the Dead, a Mexican holiday which honors loved ones who have died.

Event-goers had no shortage of entertainment, all inspired by traditions from various regions of Mexico.

The Marshalltown ARL stepped up to make such an event a reality, with a goal of connecting with Hispanic and Latino community members.

“We wanted to reassure [Marshalltown’s Hispanic community] that the ARL is a resource,” said Marshalltown ARL Executive Director Austin Gillis. “When I reached out to Luisa [Ortega], she gave us that perfect pathway with this Day of the Dead event.”

Thanks to a grant from the Humane World for Animals nonprofit organization, Gillis said the Marshalltown ARL was able to provide educational materials and bring tens of thousands of dollar’s worth of vouchers for free pet vaccines and microchipping services.

Among Sunday’s spectacles were folks dressed in traditional chinelos – a type of costume popular in central Mexican states like Morelos and Guerrero. Also featured were mojigangas – papier-maché costumes from regions such as Michoacán.

Mariachi and other celebratory music was provided by the Marshalltown High School- and Middle School bands, as well as Chinelos La Guadalupana and Mariachi Los Aguilare’s.

After covering costs for hosting, all donations from Sunday’s event went to support the Marshalltown ARL’s mission.

“I’m a true believer that everybody needs to go where they came from and know who they are, whether you’re Irish or German or Mexican, whatever cultural background you have,” Ortega said. “For me, this Día de los Muertos event was a way to pull back my roots.”