¡Es tiempo de fiesta!
LOREN BENOIT/Press file Emma Ford, left, and Helenna O’Brien paint the arms of a skeleton during last year’s Emerge art workshop. The skeletons were on display at the Day of the Dead Fiesta at the Human Rights Education Institute. This year’s Day of the Dead Fiesta will be held Friday, 6 p.m. to midnight, at Honey on Sherman Avenue.
Courtesy photo Revelers enjoy Emerge’s Day of the Dead Fiesta during the 2017 event in the Human Rights Education Institute. This year’s celebration will be held Friday at Honey Eatery and Social Club from 6 p.m. to midnight. Tickets are available at www.emergecda.com or https://dotd2018.bpt.me/ for $55 each.
By DEVIN WEEKS
Staff Writer
COEUR d’ALENE — The sweets of Halloween have been tricked-and-treated until next year, but the flavorful fare and Latin flair of Día de los Muertos have yet to be devoured.
Emerge is hosting its fourth annual Day of the Dead Fiesta at Honey Eatery and Social Club at 6 p.m. Friday, featuring cuisine, a live auction and entertainment, all to celebrate the ancient traditions of Latin cultures.
"We as a community should be seeking ways to celebrate and support the many cultures that, together, are our city," said Emerge founder and executive director Jeni Hegsted. "Emerge recognizes art as a powerful tool to educate and highlight the Hispanic community. Not only through the Día de los Muertos event, but also through our partnership with the Human Rights Education Institute during Hispanic Heritage Month and our annual Vecinos/neighbors art show in our gallery highlighting regional Hispanic and Latino artists."
The multi-day holiday of Day of the Dead brings together loved ones to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died and to help support their spiritual journeys.
"I love how this holiday honors the dead and celebrates ancestry," Hegsted said. "This is something that is missing from our culture. I love how grief and loss are dealt with in such a beautiful way. There will be an interactive altar on display. We encourage guests to pause and reflect for a moment and then add loved ones’ names and/or pictures to the altar."
Guests will enjoy sampling food from Inland Northwest restaurants, including Honey, Moon Time, Doughlicious, Bardenay, Vine and Olive, Cochinito Taqueria, Zona Blanca and Spoonful of Sugar n' Spice.
Live art will be created by Reinaldo Gil Zambrano, who grew up in Venezuela and moved to the U.S. to seek an education in the arts. He received his Master of Fine Arts in printmaking at the University of Idaho and now lives and teaches in Spokane.
"Politically and through the media, there is so much negativity being spread about Mexico and Latin America," Hegsted said. "Emerge has a unique place where we can use art as a tool to reinforce the positive aspects of building a culturally diverse and inclusive community. This event is just one of the many events we have held over the past six weeks to promote and highlight the Hispanic community."
Tickets to the Day of the Dead Fiesta can be purchased at www.emergecda.com or https://dotd2018.bpt.me/ for $55 each. Proceeds benefit Emerge CDA, a collective arts experience that offers quality development opportunities for up-and-coming artists by providing a platform to create and share their work.
Honey Social Club is located at 317 E. Sherman Ave. in Coeur d'Alene.