Day of the Dead on a Dying Bridge
Ed Fuentes
DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — Saturday and Sunday Arte Calidad's Eighth Annual Festival De La Gente stretched across the historic Sixth Street Viaduct linking Downtown and Boyle Heights in what is declared as the nation's largest Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebration. This year's event marked the second in which Downtown organizations played a noticeable role, with organizers doing their part to forge a strong link between the two sides of the Los Angeles River.
Festival arrivals from the Eastside stumbled onto a giant block party, while those coming from the Downtown side got a different look. They saw a third of a mile of bridge span used as a parking lot before finally encountering artists booths, altars, and lowriders. The festival's main stage was set up in the intersection of 6th and Boyle, off the bridge and back onto real ground.
Like last year, booths were set up for Downtown artists and this time it was helped along by Dale Youngman of The Regent Gallery, who according to Russell Brown of DLNAC, asked Dale for her curating experience and has been working on it full time for the last several weeks.
The 1933 Sixth Street Viaduct provides a symbolic setting for a Dia De Los Muertos festival, given its cancer and probable demolition. Those studying the bridge and its upcoming replacement have debated whether the span should be replaced with a replica in its historic style or whether the new structure should be of a modern design.
The Fiesta De La Gente supports the case shared by Boyle Heights residents––and many Downtowners––that any modern design for 6th Street Bridge would be out of place. If honoring the legacy of ancestors is what the festival is about, you can say the colors of the sunset, that rivaled the paper-mache masks and carnival, may have been the design spirits of the bridges asking to not be forgotten.
Top left: Our Lady of Guadalupe greets Eastsiders. Top right: Children with painted faces waiting for music to start at the main stage. Middle: Altars lined up along the bridge. Bottom left: The arches of the bridge framing Downtown. Bottom right: The start of a colorful sunset behind a crumbling pillar.
Below left: Crewest's Man-One paints City Hall. Below right: Crowds at the main stage with Downtown in the distance.
Slid Row Spirit: Don Garza has thoughts after watching a band made up of Historic Core and Skid Row residents. He writes "We can save ourselves if given the right opportunities to interact in a healthy community made up of different people and not a ghetto that is isolated from the rest of the world."
Angelenic Spirit: Rico adds how El Pueblo will be holding Day of the Dead events nightly from 7:00 to 9:00 pm until November 2, the traditional last day of Dia de los Muertos. The Pico House Gallery is exhibiting "Sacred Memory: Honoring the Dead Across Cultures" until November 19.
Will Campbell on October 30, 2007, at 06:57AM – #1
Thanks for this post. I'm ashamed to say that I'd not heard of this event until this weekend. My wife and I have enjoyed the celebration at Hollywood Forever cemetery and at Olvera Street these last few years but will definitely make room for this one in 2008. Long live the Sixth Street Viaduct!
michael on October 30, 2007, at 02:29PM – #2
Whoops,I would have gone to see that. I thought they were filming another movie.
Don Garza on October 30, 2007, at 03:42PM – #3
Speaking of film shoots.
A production decided to piggy back on the permit that Festival De LA Gente had. Festival de La Gente had the bridge until 6 am Monday Morning.
As we were leaving with the last of the paper mache puppets we came across a film shoot on the west side of the bridge. When the producers of Festival de LA Gente asked to see a permit , they could not produce one and just kept saying they had one. This was about 1:30 am
If anything would have happened to that crew on the bridge , like getting run overed , then Festival de LA Gente would have been liable.
These film crews are out of control , very out of control. They had the cops there with them , that look like real cops. IN this instance , I am wondering if these weren't fake. One of the producers who is not familiar with the way film crews use retired officers and sit them on motorcycles resembling LAPD bikes was like, well the cop says they have a permit so they must have one.
Joel C on October 30, 2007, at 04:34PM – #4
Corporate influence is increasing. I was repeatedly approached by people in blue MetroPCS shirts, trying to get me to subscribe. I counted at least ten of them.
Too bad. I guess the only way to have a public cultural festival these days is in secret. (Kidding of course)
Eric Richardson (@blogdowntown) on October 30, 2007, at 08:00PM – #5
I was at first confused by the three booths for one funeral home, but then decided that given the festival it was probably appropriate.
But yeah, I saw those same MetroPCS people walking around.
My favorite corporate influence was the spot where you could get your picture taken with one of two minivans. Why would I want a picture with a minivan?
e@v on October 30, 2007, at 09:25PM – #6
A problem with a long list of sponsors is a commercial look to a festival. It may someday lead to the generic gente street fair.
Pictures with the low-riders were free.
thunderboltfan on October 31, 2007, at 01:13PM – #7
I posted a bunch of pics from Festival de La Gente on CreepyLA.com.
Also some of the Dia de Los Muertos Car Show at the western end on the bridge.