Khajulah ~ dia de los muertos DETAILS

Dia de los Muertos 2009 - JOIN US!!!

Sunday, November 1st - RAIN OR SHINE
This event is open to the Belly Dance Community, Family, and Friends.

The Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) parade and performance will take place on Sunday, November 1st in Downtown San Jose. Join belly dancers and drummers as we parade down the streets of Downtown San Jose, the procession ends at a festival on SJSU campus and there will be a performance opportunity! Amongst the invited guests are Chinese Lion Dancers, Stilt Walkers, Aztec Dancers, Folklorico Dancers, Filipino Dancers and of course us Belly Dancers (gathering under the name of A Belly Dance Collective).

This is always an enjoyable event, a great way to make connections, have some fun and celebrate the lives of loved ones and our ancestors who have passed. I hope you will consider joining us. Details below... If there is anyone from the belly dance and drumming community you think would like to participate, please pass on this information.

Invite Flyer, get it!
Paint your skeleton face! examples

Check out images from past events:
images, Dia de los Muertos 2009
See some of Bahira's pix from DDLM09
images, Dia de los Muertos 2008
images, Dia de los Muertos 2007
images, Dia de los Muertos 2006
images, Dia de los Muertos 2005
images, Dia de los Muertos 2004

General Timeline
Note: Don't forget about Daylight Savings Time, fall BACK an hour!
8:00am to 10:30am - Face Painting and snacks at Patrice’s
10:45am - Light rail to Downtown San Jose
11:15am - Meet at Park Center Plaza
12:00pm - Parade Begins
12:30pm - Opening Ceremony at SJSU, followed by performances (more info to follow...)
???time – Performances begin
???time – Late lunch at Flames

8:00-10:30am - Face Painting and Snacks at Patrice’s (free!)
On the morning of the parade, I will host face painting at my house. Please come and enjoy coffee, Mexican hot chocolate, juice, and pan dulce (sweet bread) while we paint our skeleton faces and get ready. Costuming is open, belly dance attire would be great if you plan to perform, keep in mind this is a family friendly program.
Patrice’s Joint: 609 Minor Avenue - San José, CA 95125 - (408) 279-8524
map

10:45 - Travel to Downtown San Jose
Let’s plan to leave around 10:30am, take the light rail, which is only a few blocks from my house and parade meeting place (bring some money for fare). http://www.vta.org/schedules/SC_901NO_SU.html
If you want to meet us there, there are several places to park in Downtown San Jose.
http://www.sjdowntownparking.com/parking_map.html

11:15am - Meet at Park Center Plaza, Downtown San Jose
The gathering place and beginning of the procession is at Park Center Plaza on the corner of Market and San Fernando Streets (between Bank of America and Wells Fargo), please be there no later than 11:30am. We'll wait here and in years past, we've been given marigolds as an offering once we get to the altar, (the fragrance of the flowers leads the spirits home; sometimes paths of the petals guide the spirits back home).
Park Center Plaza: Near the corner of San Fernando and Market, across the street form the Cesar Chavez Park.
map

12:00am - Procession begins
Tickets for water will be passed out before the procession starts, bring your ticket to the volunteer booth for a bottle of water after the parade. This is not only a procession but, a performance -- smile, laugh, dance, sing, try to coax on lookers to join the procession. When you reach the corner of 4th and San Fernando, in front of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library at SJSU, we will travel slightly down 4th street to steps and an opening to the Caret Plaza directly behind the library, this is where all the festivities will happen.

12:15 - Opening Ceremony at SJSU, Behind the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library, Claret Plaza
The opening ceremonies start at 12:15, the Aztec dancers open the ceremonies and dress the community altar. There will be a Children's Culture Camp where they can make miniature altars, necklaces, paper flowers and more. Bring your kids/grand kids and have a fun time. They offer wonderful food and drinks, crafts for purchase, stay for multi-cultural performances. If you plan to participate in the belly dance performance part of the day, please stick around close so we can go over "the plan".
MLK Library: 150 E. San Fernando Street, San José, CA 95112, (408) 808-2000
http://www.sjlibrary.org/about/locations/king/
Get directions

More info to follow.....
Performance Opportunity
No word on the exact time for our performance...
After the ceremonies, each group will have a little time to perform and entertain the crowd, there will one stage for all cultural performances. We have been given a performance spot of 15-30 minutes. Our performance will be “freestyle” and to live drummers. If you and a dance partner have something worked out, you can do a short performance. Once we get there, we'll work out the details. Remember "free flow."

Late Lunch at Flames
After our performance and to end the festivities, please join us for lunch at a local restaurant with a great menu and drink specials. Flames is located right across the street to the library. Bring some extra money for lunch, this is always a great way to end the day, the food is great and they make some awesome drinks!
Flames: 88 S 4th St., San Jose, CA 95112-3582 , (408) 971-1960
map

Some cool Dia de los Muertos sites:
History/Origins of:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Day_of_the_Dead
http://www3.niu.edu/newsplace/nndia.html
http://www.mexconnect.com/mex_/feature/daydeadindex.html
http://www.mexonline.com/daydead.htm

Bay Area Events:
San Jose, SJMAG: http://www.sjmag.org/
San Jose, SJMofA: http://www.sanjosemuseumofart.org/content/events/event_info.phtml?itemID=432
Fruitvale/Oakland: http://www.unitycouncil.org/ddlm/
San Francisco: http://www.dayofthedeadsf.org/

Art and Other Cool Stuff:
http://www.dayofthedead.com/
http://diadelosmuertoselpaso.blogspot.com/
http://www.azcentral.com/ent/dead/
http://www.aprendelo.com/rec/papel-picado.html

Got more links? Pass 'em on...here.

Invite Flyer, get it!
Paint your skeleton face! examples

06-08-10