A little rain still couldn’t stop the dead from marching from downtown New Haven to Fair Haven.
Brian Slattery Photo
The occasion was Saturday’s annual Día de los Muertos parade, sponsored by Unidad Latina en Acción and the City of New Haven. It has a theme every year. This year’s theme, Keep Memory Alive, was intended both to celebrate the indigenous cultures represented in New Haven’s immigrant community and to protest what has become a human rights crisis in Mexico.
It was also a reminder of New Haven’s own recent immigration history.
As people gathered in an indoor space on Howe Street, the earliest arrivals were already practicing with the largest puppets.
They put the finishing touches on their costumes.
And had their faces painted.
And got ready for the parade to start.
At last John Lugo of Unidad Latina en Acción stood up before the assembled crowd to organize them to move. He explained the parade route — and how to get the giant puppets out of the building in one piece — and then told everyone to grab a puppet. The rain had discouraged a few people from attending, so there were more puppets than people, he said. Still, it didn’t matter. “We are few, but we are brave” Lugo said, to laughter and cheers.
They really weren’t so few.
They assembled outside the building on Howe Street, and at a signal from Lugo, driving in his station wagon in front, they began the two-mile route through Fair Haven from Howe to Bregamos Community Theater on Blatchley Avenue.
They were enough of a sight to see to draw people from their houses along the parade route.
And the energy level picked up with every step they took, north through Fair Haven and along Grand Avenue.
From Grand Avenue they turned onto Blatchley Avenue and made their way to Bregamos. Which is where the real party started.