SRJC’s LumaFest will celebrate Día de Muertos with live performances, food, art and educational activities 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 18 at the Petaluma campus.
Santa Rosa Junior College will host its annual LumaFest from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 18 at the Petaluma campus, celebrating Día de Muertos with live performances, food, art and educational activities.
This year’s free, family-friendly event will feature themed zones across the entirety of the campus, allowing SRJC students and the greater community the opportunity to celebrate all things Día de los Muertos.
Cultural performances will take center stage in the Plaza of Performances, beginning with the Petaluma Dance Group Paquiyollotzin Ballet Folclórico at noon, Luther Burbank Center’s Youth Mariachi at 1 p.m. and SRJC’s Ballet Folclórico club at 1:45 p.m.
Students and faculty will lead hands-on demonstrations in the Street of Learning, including salsa dancing with instructor Mai Nazif, construction equipment displays, math puzzles and chemistry experiments. Ellis Auditorium will showcase SRJC student short films on a loop.
Attendees can shop for artisan goods at the Marketplace, meet community groups at the Community Heart and visit Altares y Ofrendas in the Mahoney Library’s Avenue of Remembrance. The Family Fun Zone will offer face painting, skull painting, a scavenger hunt and a bouncy house.
Food trucks and local vendors will serve tacos, churros, sushi, matcha and desserts at the Flavor Market.
Fresno, the articulated giraffe skeleton, is the highlight of the festival. Fresno originates from the Fresno Chaffee Zoo and, after SRJC students reassembled him, now resides in the Mahoney Library. The giraffe, a symbol of remembrance and learning, is displayed in the LumaFest logo.
“Fresno’s story is a unique journey of life, legacy and learning,” said SRJC Petaluma project coordinator Anna Lucas. “In honoring Fresno, we celebrate a central theme of Día de los Muertos; those who have passed continue to live on in our memories and traditions.”
Lucas said the event blends cultural celebration with education and community engagement. “LumaFest highlights SRJC Petaluma’s role as a hub for learning and connection,” she said. “It reminds everyone that honoring the past is something we do together.”
For more information, visit LumaFest’s webpage or contact Anna Lucas at [email protected].