WQAD - Mercado on Fifth brought new and unique festivities to the Quad Cities over the weekend.
On Saturday, Oct. 22, the organization hosted the ‘Dia de los Muertos’ parade in downtown Moline.
"It was a lot of work, I didn't know exactly what to expect,” said Anamaria Rocha, director of Mercado on Fifth. “Whatever I did expect, it definitely surpassed my expectations. The moment the first float went up, I got chills.”
‘Dia de los Muertos’, translated to Day of the Dead in English, is a Mexican celebration that is celebrated to remember loved ones who have passed away. It’s also an opportunity to keep their memories alive.
“It's important that we celebrate and remember who we are, it's important that we celebrate our traditions,” said Greg Aguilar who is also part of Mercado on Fifth. “It's part of what makes us who we are, especially about Latinos and a lot of Mexican Americans."
Hundreds of people gathered to participate in the celebrations. Many had painted skulls on their faces and wore traditional attire for the event.
“It was just so beautiful to see so many people come out for this today,” said Rocha. “I saw such a diverse crowd. It wasn't just Hispanos or Latinos, and that to me is amazing because it shows how much support the Hispanic community has in the Quad Cities.”
Aguilar added that he was “extremely surprised by the support of the community” when discussing the crowd.
“I haven’t seen this many people in downtown in a very long time” Aguilar said.
As the season ends for Mercado on Fifth, the team is hoping that the parade will become an annual tradition for the Quad Cities.