After 9/11 Santa Rosa Junior College Counselor Luz Navarrette began what is now a Santa Rosa tradition at the Old Court House Square.

Navarrette’s niece died in the Twin Towers and she was mourning the recent loss of her little girl and a close cousin.

“Following the 9/11 attacks I could feel the community was in fear and was paralyzed,” Navarrette said.

Navarrette feels guided by the spirit realm and it is for them she began the annual ritual of creating a community Dia De Los Muertos celebration and altar at the Old Court House Square in downtown Santa Rosa.

She says she had to do a lot of soul searching and consulting with the surrounding community which took her to professionals, spiritual leaders and families suffering the loss of loved ones to bring about a tradition that in Mexico usually takes place at a cemetery.

Navarrette says a lot of students as well as herself could not return to Mexico yearly to sweep, decorate the tombs and prepare special meals for their dearly departed.

“The event has grown over the years and much planning goes into it,” Navarrette says. “It is a community effort and everyone pitches in. This celebration goes beyond class and race because death is all inclusive. We all have it in common. It’s a wonderful way to come together and talk about death.”

One woman has been coming to remember her son’s death since the inception of the celebration at the Old Court House Square. She started coming because there was no place for her to go when her son, who was a student at Sonoma State, died; there was no place to find support or understanding about death.

Navarrette says it takes $9,000 to $10,000 a year to create the community altar and much of it today is made by donations and a yearly calendar that is sold to fund the Nov. 1 and 2 celebrations at the Old Court House Square.

Many outside groups come to the committee and want to buy their way into becoming a sponsor for the event, but Navarrette says it has to be approved and in theme with the purpose of event. That’s why you don’t see any large corporate banners decorating the event or groups with messages that would take focus away from the event’s purpose.

This year’s event will be on a tight schedule with several performers and arts and crafts activities. A community mural will be painted with the guidance of Sonoma State Instructor Dan Lopez, as well as rites and rituals by invited guests.

Navarrette thinks about her little girl everyday. She says her grandson was nine months old when she started this event and that he does not know of a November without the Old Court House Square Dia de Los Muertos Celebrations. It’s a tradition now.