Fall 2016 Event Recap
By Nick Perry , Vice President & Marina Marinovich , Publicity Chair
The history and culture of the local Mexican-American community came to life at the first-ever Día de los Muertos celebration hosted by the Mountain View Historical Association . The event took place on Sunday , November 6 , and sold out weeks before . We estimate a crowd of over 150 people filled the Adobe Building ’ s hall and , thanks to rain-free weather , spilled out into its garden .
The historic Mission-style architecture of the landmark Adobe served as a perfect setting for the event . Traditional “ papel picado ” added splashes of color to the adobe walls , and two large and elaborate Día de los Muertos altars flanked either side of the building ’ s fireplace . One altar featured large sugar skulls created by students from Crittenden and Graham middle schools . The other altar was created by the Historical Association and included photos of influential Mountain View pioneers , along with touching images of recently departed loved ones submitted by the community prior to the event .
The event ’ s first hour included two presentations on Mountain View ’ s Mexican history . Mr . Crisanto Castro , of the original Mountain View Castro family for whom the city ’ s main street is named , traced his family ’ s history dating back to the Spanish colonial era and his personal memories of life at the Castro rancho where Rengstorff Park is today . The crowd audibly gasped when Mr . Castro presented a cross given to the family by Junípero Serra , the Spanish priest who founded California ’ s Mission system and was recently canonized as a Catholic saint .
The second presentation highlighted the history of Mountain View ’ s Club Estrella , cohosts of the day ’ s festivities . Club Estrella ’ s Katie Montalvo shared the story of the club ’ s founding in 1948 , when local Mexican-American women living in Mountain View joined forces to help the poor and promote the culture and welfare of their community . In the spirit of Día de los Muertos , MVHA Vice President Nick Perry highlighted the life of Joe Perez , a Club Estrella member who became Mountain View ’ s first Mexican-American council member and mayor in the 1970s . Perez ’ s life was tragically cut short by cancer while serving on the City Council ; “ Plaza de Perez ” at the Two Worlds development on El Camino Real is named in his honor .
Following Club Estrella ’ s presentation , the event shifted gears and became a joyful celebration of Mexican music and dance . Guests were treated to a lively series of traditional dances performed by the Raices de Mexico folkloric dance group . The colorfully costumed young dancers delighted the audience which cheered and clapped along . The event then spilled out to the Adobe Building ’ s garden for an hour-long concert by Mariachi Tapatio , one of the premier mariachi bands in the area . By the end of the concert , guests had leaped out of their seats to dance to the music on the garden lawn .
The MVHA has decided to make the event an annual Mountain View tradition . If anyone would like to help plan the 2017 Día de los Muertos , please contact any member of the MVHA Board !
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