What would normally be a sleepy Sunday morning in Oakland’s Fruitvale neighborhood was instead bustling with locals preparing for an event that’s been going on for 30 years.

Throughout the plaza, there were several altars that people had signed up to create in memory of their late friends and family. Visitors were encouraged to take a moment to offer a quick prayer or positive thoughts. 

The Oakland Día De Los Muertos free festival started at the Fruitvale Plaza, near the BART station, around 10 a.m. Hundreds of people crowded around the circle of colorful feathers and shimmering clothing to watch as the dancers, guided by the resounding drums, made prayers to the people and the earth. 

While this event was less crowded than last year, community members still filled the streets, listened to bands sponsored by local radio stations, and ate at local restaurants. Fruitvale and its surrounding neighborhoods are made up of immigrants and Latines, with many who opted out of coming to avoid any chance of a possible Immigration and Customs Enforcement raid on the festival.

To counter that possibility, the Unity Council in Fruitvale committed itself to both conducting safety patrols around the event and ensuring the festival continued. Lusia Fifita, the council’s coordinator for fun development and communications, said there were about 275 volunteers who applied this year. 

“We have lots of folks here that are willing to help out in any way, even just being lookout folks to monitor,” Fifita said. “Everyone here is just here for one purpose: to celebrate a positive event.”

The slogan of this year’s festival was, “Aqui estamos, y no nos vamos,” or, “We are here and we are not leaving.”

“Part of our plan this year was to expand on our safety plan, especially around ICE and Immigration,” said Blanca Martinez, communications coordinator for the council. “Incorporating other community partners such as [Alameda County Immigration Legal and Education Partnership] and Bay Resistance to help us train our volunteers for Día De Los Muertos.” 

By the Otaez restaurant on International Boulevard, a small group of Aztec dancers, Ehecatl Tonatiuh, set up an altar for the late co-owner of the restaurant, Jesus “Don Chuy” Campos. The company of dancers is a newer addition, and San Francisco State University physiology graduate student Marlén Núñez-Tamayo is the group’s newest member. 

Aztec dance became an outlet for Núñez-Tamayo as she had seen the impact it had on others around her. 

“I had seen that other dancers and other family members had been helped by the danza and helped them become a lot more emotionally stable, but I think that being in a community is what helped me the most,” Núñez-Tamayo said.

Don Gilberto, an Aztec dancer of the group Nahui Ehecatl, has been a part of the dance community in Oakland for over a decade. His group is community-driven and welcomes all to enjoy and understand the culture. 

“This event is meant to show the circle of life; death is simply another part of life,” Gilberto said. “We cannot be afraid of what it can be but rather accept it as it is.” 

Núñez-Tamayo reflected on what it meant to be a part of these ceremonies and communities.

“I think being Mexican American, it’s kind of cliché to say, but you feel like you don’t fit into both worlds,” Núñez-Tamayo said. “Being a part of dance groups, I found a community here that teaches me about my indigenous culture, helping me understand that there are ways for me to practice my culture and embrace my roots… It’s a constant reminder that’s where I come from, that’s where my family is from, and where my lineage comes from.”

This year marked the festival’s 30th anniversary in Oakland.

“I feel like just us standing strong and staying committed to having the festival really showed the community that we are still here,” Fifita said.

Throughout the day, volunteer monitors and police officers patrolled the area to ensure the safety of all attendees and help them enjoy their time at the festival. 

“I think something that we could definitely take away from our event is that Día De Los Muertos is definitely around our ancestors,” Martinez said. “So I think we should all call on our ancestors to really guide us through this difficult time, just like they did.”