UHV to host Dia de Muertos Community Celebration
The University of Houston-Victoria will be hosting a Dia de Muertos celebration in November.
Dia de Muertos Community Celebration will be held on Saturday, Nov. 2, from 5 to 10 p.m. The free, family-friendly event will be held in Parking Lot U between University North and University South, and is open to the public, said Jennifer Ortiz Garza, UHV director of development.
"We are deeply grateful for the support from these partners whose generosity and support make this event possible for our students and community," said Amber Countis, vice president of advancement and external relations. "This commitment to UHV helps ensure that we continue to serve as a hub for education and engagement in the Victoria community."
Historically, Dia de Muertos serves to recognize the tradition of honoring and remembering loved ones who have passed away, Ortiz Garza said.
“At UHV, we are a Hispanic-serving institution, and it’s a good tie-in for our students to be able to see that we value this as an important piece of our culture,” Ortiz Garza said. “It’s also a great way to get the community to come and see our campus and for them to see how important the community is for our students.”
The celebration will feature 25 vendors and food trucks, offering a wide array of food, crafts and cultural experiences, she said. Some of the highlights of the event include:
- An ofrenda (altar) competition in collaboration with Crossroads Art House to showcase ofrendas created by local junior high school students.
- A community altar set up by local artist Josh Vega where attendees can leave photos and memories of their loved ones.
- A community altar set up in University South by Colonial Funeral Home
- Ballet folklorico performances by dancers from Our Lady of Sorrows and the Victoria Independent School District.
“We have been so blessed to have community partners help us in one way or another,” said Briana Vega, UHV senior administration secretary. “I am so excited about the opportunity that we’re having to bring the community to UHV and to introduce UHV to the community as an open campus.”
The event has secured donations and partnerships from a variety of local entities, including:
- The City of Victoria
- Colonial Funeral Home
- Target
- Gatti’s Pizza
- Jason’s Deli
- United Rentals
- Victoria Public Library
- Monuments of Victoria
- The Honorable Eli Garza and Dr. Jennifer Ortiz Garza
“I hope the attendees take away an understanding of the tradition and an understanding of the importance of family members and not forgetting them even though they’ve passed on,” Ortiz Garza said. “At the end of the day, our friends and family are the most important people in our lives, even when they’ve passed on.”
The University of Houston-Victoria, located in the heart of the Coastal Bend region since 1973 in Victoria, Texas, offers courses leading to more than 50 academic programs in the schools of Arts & Sciences; Business Administration; and Education, Health Professions & Human Development. UHV provides face-to-face classes at its Victoria campus, as well as an instructional site in Katy, Texas, and online classes that students can take from anywhere. UHV supports the American Association of State Colleges and Universities Opportunities for All initiative to increase awareness about state colleges and universities and the important role they have in providing a high-quality and accessible education to an increasingly diverse student population, as well as contributing to regional and state economic development.