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San Juan Bautista is going all-out this year on a five-day series of Dia de los Muertos celebrations that include a vigil at the local cemetery, an evening parade through the town, costume competitions at 18th Barrel and Dona Esther’s and a makers market at Posada de San Juan.
The highlight of the week will be the town’s second Sip & Celebrate Beer & Wine Stroll, sponsored by the Spirit of San Juan Bautista, a collective of local merchants and community leaders. The tasting is being held as a benefit to raise funds for the reopening of Luis Valdez’s El Teatro Campesino, which has been closed to indoor performances since the start of the pandemic.
“We’ve really missed El Teatro, and they had a huge impact on our town when they were more active and were able to hold their plays and celebrations,” said Fran Fitzharris, owner of Brewery Twenty Five. “This town has really felt them not being open. They are an important part of our history in our community, and they’ve been quiet for a long time.“
Valdez began staging Dia de los Muertos processions as a way of introducing his theater company to the town when it arrived in 1972. In a 2022 interview with BenitoLink, Valdez recalled that he envisioned them as a way of gaining acceptance from the community. Since then, the parade has been a mainstay of El Teatro’s public performances and sparked related events throughout the town ever since.
“At the time, it was not really celebrated in the United States, and we decided to launch it as a parade,” he said. “The old guard in town sat by and was somewhat bemused by this group of raucous Chicanos in town. But I think they appreciated the youthful spirit.”
This year, the Dia de los Muertos celebrations begin on Nov. 1 at the San Juan Bautista City Cemetery at 70 Monterey Street, with the “Dia de los Angelitos,” or “Day of the Little Angels,” which honors departed children. The event, which was founded by Sandra Arretche, is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. and feature Oceloyoti, an indigenous dance company which, after a blessing of an ofrenda (altar) at the cemetery, will form a procession through town that will arrive at the Luna Gallery at 107B 3rd Street at 7 p.m. for a small reception.
On Nov 2, El Teatro is hosting two celebrations. The first is Family Fun Day from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. with food trucks and family activities along with a dramatic presentation held in front of the Teatro building at 705 4th Street. At 7 p.m., musicians and dancers will lead participants on a procession through town, leaving the Teatro parking lot and making their way south down 4th Street before looping back onto 3rd Street and returning to the theater.
On Nov 3, The 18th Barrel will be holding a kickoff party for the Sip and Celebrate tasting from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. with live music from the B-Side Players and a costume competition. Tickets are $25.
The major festivity of the weekend, held on Nov 4, is the second Sip & Celebrate Beer & Wine Stroll, with 20 different wine vendors pouring at different locations throughout town. The first stroll was held in 2019 and was intended to be regularly staged until the pandemic shut things down. It runs from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., and the proceeds will benefit El Teatro’s efforts to renovate and reopen the theater in time for the restaging of “La Pastorela” in December. Tickets are available through Eventbrite.
“Throughout our Dia de los Muertos preparation, I envisioned the Pixar film ‘Coco,’ and our own Luis Valdez, founder of El Teatro Campesino, voicing Miguel’s hardworking uncle, Tio Berto,” said Wanda Guibert, of the San Juan Bautista Historical Society. “El Teatro Campesino feels like the right choice to be the beneficiary of the proceeds, and we wanted them to feel recognized and appreciated by the local community.”
Rehearsals are currently taking place at El Teatro for both the Dia de los Muertos procession and “La Pastorela.” Valdez’s son, director Kinan Valdez, said that his theater company is grateful for the support of Spirit of San Juan.
“I think it is a fantastic idea and will really help us as we come back from the pandemic shutdown,” he said. “It is always gratifying to have this kind of support from the community.”
On the same day, Posada de San Juan, located at 310 4th Street, will be holding the Dia de los Grooves Maker’s Market, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., a gathering of 15 local artists and vendors presented by Artsy Chica Boutique working within a Day of the Dead theme.
The final observance is a Mexican brunch and costume competition being held at Dona Esther’s Restaurant at 25 Franklin Street from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
“I would like to see Dia de los Muertos be a signature San Juan Bautista event,” said Guilbert. “I think it’s inherent in our town with our Hispanic heritage, and people have come to see this as an important holiday and a community event that really focuses on authenticity.”
Wineries and breweries participating in the Sip & Celebrate Beer & Wine Stroll:
- Blade & Talon Wine
- Brewery Twenty Five
- Calera Wine
- Derose Winery
- Eden Rift Vineyards
- English Ales Brewery
- Fortino Winery
- Hope Family Wines
- Kelly Brewing
- The Language of Yes
- Mad Pursuit Brewing
- Narrative Fermentations
- Ozeki Sake
- Pinnacle Brewing
- Puma Road Winery
- Quintessential Wines
- Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing
- Sante Adairius Rustic Ales
- Stirm Wine
- Swank Beer
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