Honoring Tradition and Community: Día de los Muertos at Chaffee Park

Photos/Video by Karen Gutiérrez for El Semanario

Watch a video of the celebration produced by El Semanario here.

Posted November 6, 2025

Each autumn, Denver’s Chaffee Park comes alive with color, candles, and community spirit as families gather to honor loved ones who have passed. The annual Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebration—organized by Servicios de la Raza—is one of the city’s longest-standing cultural traditions, blending remembrance, art, and unity in a space that welcomes all.

This year’s celebration took place on Saturday, November 1, beginning with music and dance at the Troy Chávez Memorial Peace Garden, in north Denver, followed by a community procession to Chaffee Park. As dusk settled over northwest Denver, hundreds of residents joined together—families carrying candles, photos, and marigolds—to celebrate life, memory, and cultural identity.

At Chaffee Park, the atmosphere was one of warmth and reverence. Dozens of ofrendas (altars) honored ancestors and friends, each uniquely decorated with flowers, candles, sugar skulls, and personal tributes. The scent of copal and pan de muerto filled the air, while traditional music and folklórico performances brought rhythm and joy to the evening.

For organizers, Día de los Muertos is more than an event—it is an intergenerational gathering that keeps culture alive. “We do this so that our children and grandchildren know where they come from,” said one participant, reflecting on the importance of passing traditions forward. “It’s not just about mourning—it’s about remembering with love.”

Sponsors of this year’s event included: Denver Councilwoman at Large Serena Gonzales-Gutiérrez, Servicios de la Raza, Grupo Tlaloc Danza Azteca, Corazon Printing, Centro Del Barrio, La Cultura Cura, Denver Councilwoman Amanda Sandoval, Spirit of the Sun, Denver Healing Generations Network, GRASP, BIRD, Select Health, Nuevo Amanecer, LLC, AUL Wolves and Grupo Folklorico Sabor Latino, Inc.