This was the 3rd annual local celebration for Day of the Dead held on Nov. 1, 2025 at the DeKalb Public Library. The event included a procession, a moment of silence, live dance performances, and altars dedicated to loved ones.
WNIJ Hola, a bilingual news service for DeKalb County, had a "mobile" ofrenda, or altar, dedicated to honoring the lives of pioneers of the First Amendment.
NIU student and WNIJ Hola Correspondent Yaritza Salgado created the ofrenda as part of her coursework at Northern Illinois University.
She also conducted oral histories with members of the community that she will produce as part of her semester with WNIJ Hola.
Families gathered in downtown DeKalb before a procession leading to the DeKalb Public Library where ofrendas, or altars, were set up in the main lobby to honor local family members who have died. The altars contain photos of loved ones as well as the foods and drinks that the departed enjoyed during their lives.
Organizer Laura Anderson started the local celebration as a way to honor her family's Mexican heritage and bring the whole community together, including people who aren't as familiar with the traditions of Day of the Dead. This fall, she led several workshops at the Kishwaukee Family YMCA geared for families to provide information on the different symbols commonly used for Day of the Dead celebrations which include sugar skulls and marigolds.
"I think understanding where people come from and why they do what they do and how they do what they do makes things less scary and makes things less taboo," she said during an interview with WNIJ Hola. "By providing this educational piece to everybody, I hope it brings that awareness, understanding, and love not only for the holiday, but for the people and the culture."
- WNIJ Hola Correspondent Yaritza Salgado contributed to this report