like All Soul's Day better than All Hallows Eve. The ornate altars memorializing departed loved ones that are constructed each year in Garfield Park help to ground San Francisco's Day Of The Dead celebration in melancholy reflection that feels more somber and sacred than run of the mill drunken Halloween yahooism. Plus I love dancing through the streets amidst bands and crowds of revelers, and this is the closest thing to a New Orleans neighborhood second line parade to be found in San Francisco. I was disappointed when the SFPD began to block the parade from detouring down Balmy, a narrow alley in the Mission running from 24th to 25th adjacent to Harrison that is lined end to end with buildings painted with colorful, elaborate murals depicting Latino political and cultural themes. The candlelit walk through Balmy used to be my favorite part of the night. To watch a Quicktime movie I made in Balmy Alley on Dia De Los Muertos a couple of years ago, click on the image below.
like All Soul's Day better than All Hallows Eve. The ornate altars memorializing departed loved ones that are constructed each year in Garfield Park help to ground San Francisco's Day Of The Dead celebration in melancholy reflection that feels more somber and sacred than run of the mill drunken Halloween yahooism. Plus I love dancing through the streets amidst bands and crowds of revelers, and this is the closest thing to a New Orleans neighborhood second line parade to be found in San Francisco. I was disappointed when the SFPD began to block the parade from detouring down Balmy, a narrow alley in the Mission running from 24th to 25th adjacent to Harrison that is lined end to end with buildings painted with colorful, elaborate murals depicting Latino political and cultural themes. The candlelit walk through Balmy used to be my favorite part of the night. To watch a Quicktime movie I made in Balmy Alley on Dia De Los Muertos a couple of years ago, click on the image below.
