Publication Date: 10-06-2021
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MEDIA CONTACT:
Michael Tierney
502-587-7220
COVID-19 Leads Louisville Downtown Partnership to Make Temporary Changes to Annual Day of the Dead Celebration
COVID-19 Delta Variant scales back Louisville event
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (October 4, 2021) –Louisville Downtown Partnership (LDP) will scale back its annual Day of the Dead celebration in honor of Dia de los Muertos due to rising delta variant cases in communities across Louisville. In keeping the community and Downtown Louisville safe, LDP’s Day of the Dead celebration will be held on a smaller scale to celebrate the rich cultural traditions of Dia de los Muertos while observing necessary health and safety precautions.
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The Annual Day of the Dead Celebration will be held at Fourth Street Live, 411 S 4th St. on Saturday, Oct. 30th from 2:00-5:30 p.m. Attendees are invited to a free screening of Disney Pixar’s “COCO” at 3:00 p.m. and to visit a temporary Dia de los Muertos altar—a space for the public to place objects in memory of their deceased loved ones and pets. The annual Day of the Dead celebration is in partnership with Louisville Metro Government’s Office for Globalization.
Students and teachers are encouraged to participate at home or in-person with educational decoration making and activities using this year’s Day of the Dead Lesson Plan. A limited supply of decorations and educational materials are available on request to school groups. Materials for individual students and families will be available for pickup at Fourth Street Live on the day of the event between 2:00-5:30 p.m.
Downtown retailers are invited to participate and celebrate Day of the Dead at their location with decorations, sales, specials and activities throughout the month of October. A limited supply of decorations and educational materials are available on request. Retailers interested in participating in this event and being included in Louisville’s Day of the Dead promotions can send information to LGatti@louisvilledowntown.org.
Dia de los Muertos is a 3,000-year-old holiday observed by Mexico and other Latin American countries to honor and celebrate the lives of deceased loved ones with art, music and gifts. In Mexico, the annual celebration takes place over several days between October 31st and November 1st. In 2019, Louisville’s Day of the Dead had over 8,000 people in attendance with features that included sugar skull decorating, performances from Latin musical groups and traditional food and beverages from local food vendors. In addition to Louisville’s Day of the Dead celebration, Louisville Downtown Partnership has presented some of the most popular Downtown events including Trolley Hop, Friday Fortnight and Downtown Living Tour.
“We’re thrilled to welcome students, families and community members from across Louisville to participate in such an important cultural celebration on a smaller scale this year,” Frank Kalmbach, Director of Finance and Operations at LDP, added. “We look forward to the day that we are able to bring this event back on a larger scale, but until then public safety needs to be our top priority.”
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For more information about Louisville’s Day of the Dead and a downloadable activity set, go to: Dayofthedeadlouisville.com
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About LDP:
LDP is the dynamic organization that drives economic growth in Downtown for the benefit of the entire region, as well as oversees multiple on-street enhancements that help establish Downtown Louisville’s distinctive character and widespread appeal. LDP believes the economic engine of any great city starts with a strong Downtown.
For more information: visit www.louisvilledowntown.org, or call (502) 584-6000.
For interview requests, contact Michael Tierney at (502) 587-7220.
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