Tattoo artists climb ladders to decorate the streets. A local teacher builds a community altar. A local businesswoman and an artist, with the help of dozens of volunteers, organize three stages of music, 75 vendors, a puppet parade, art exhibits and everything else that goes into making Dia de los Muertos the most exciting, educational and spiritual festival in Corpus Christi. 
This year, the festival will run from 3 p.m. to midnight Saturday, Oct. 29. New this year, Manos de Calenda, giant puppets 7-10 feet tall that sit on a person’s shoulders, will parade through the crowds and perform skits. A kids’ zone offers crafts with a take-away art item from each area. 
K-Space Contemporary will host an art exhibit, while community and family altars will be on display in the Ritz Theater. Anyone and everyone is invited to this free celebration of lost loved ones in downtown Corpus Christi.
What started nine years ago as a block party has turned into a community effort that covers 10 blocks in the Marina Arts District with revelers, music, stunning art and a celebration and reverence for loved ones who have passed away. In Mexico, Dia de los Muertos is a national holiday during which families congregate in cemeteries, bringing favorite foods, drinks and other tokens to gravesites. 
“Since our population is 60 percent Hispanic, it makes sense that a lot of that tradition carries over into our culture here,” said Michelle Smythe, director of K-Space and one of the two main organizers and founders of the local celebration. “It’s a healthy way of dealing with death.”
Smyth and Brenda Edwards, who with her husband, Bruce, owns Electra Art/Axis Tattoo, put together the first celebration just for fun. Edwards came up with the idea of building a block party around Dia de los Muertos, enlisting Smythe’s involvement.
“I’m Hispanic, and I’ve always been partial to the Day of the Dead,” Edwards said. “And I wanted something that would bring people downtown. Dia de los Muertos affects everyone. Everyone has a special someone who has passed away. This is a way to celebrate them.”
Instead of going to separate family cemeteries, Corpus Christi gathers together for a community-wide event downtown. From the party spirit to the spiritual, everyone will find something of interest. 
“The altar in the Ritz Theater is really moving,” Smythe said. “I walked into it last year and started crying, and I had seen it being built for two weeks before that. It’s that powerful.” 
Memorial papers are available at the altar for people to write the names of loved ones. 
“The person in charge of that is Rob Carey, a teacher,” Edwards added. “He does it all for free. We all do it because we love it. He really poured his heart into it. It was really beautiful, really spiritual.”
At K-Space Contemporary, local artists will display works based on the theme “The Remembered,” honoring innovators and history makers. Works will honor those who have inspired the artists in their lives. 
Students in kindergarten through 12th grade can enter a piñata contest to win money for art supplies for their class. 
The 75 or more vendors expected have all been vetted so only handmade arts and crafts are featured in their booths. Six different local organizations will build the kids’ zone, which will feature a magician, an animal balloon maker and other performances. 
For more details on Dia de los Muertos in Corpus Christi, visit the website at http://diadelosmuertoscc.com/.
“This is not a hobby,” Edwards said. “This is our heart and soul. We are not doing this just to do it. We do it to keep downtown alive.”
The efforts of Smythe and Edwards seem to be working. The Marina Arts District has become home to a growing number of festivals, including St. Patrick’s Day, Tamale Fest, Masterpiece-in-a-Day, a food trailer festival, a farmers market and monthly ArtWalks. 
“It’s awesome,” Edwards said. “We’re ecstatic. We knew we could do this because there was nothing like it in Corpus Christi. We’ve got the best festival in the city.”