SOUTH PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The Mexican celebration Day of the Dead took over the streets of South Philadelphia on Sunday.
Felipa Ventura, president of the Mexican Business Owners Association, said honoring loved ones is at the heart of Day of the Dead.
“In Mexico, once you’re loved, you never die, and that’s what’s celebrated in Dia De Los Muertos,” said Ventura.
The business association was one of the several organizations behind the festival on Ninth Street in the Italian Market. There was mariachi, banda, face-painting, countless vendors, and an ofrenda, where attendees displayed lost loved ones alongside decorations with candles, flowers, sugar skulls, and more.
Meyling Moreno from Nicaragua owns Cafe Duskaia along Ninth Street, and said the day was about exchanging culture with all who took a stroll down the block.
“Our business, and sharing with the people the culture of Nicaragua,” she said.
Donna Jackson-Stephans, the city’s chief diversity, equity, and inclusion officer, said the event captures what Philly is all about.
“We are excited for a celebration like this that celebrates not only tradition, but life,” she said. “So when I look around, I see Philly at its best.”
