Dia De Los Muertos 2012 Event Maxican Day of Dead

Oct. 22, 2012 - PRLog -- OCEANSIDE – October 19, 2012 – The Old Mission San Luis Rey along with Tri-City

Medical Center presents the 12th Annual Dia de los Muertos on Sunday, October 28th from 10 am - 4 pm.

Founded 12 years ago in Oceanside by volunteers and Mainstreet Oceanside, Dia de los Muertos at the Mission has become the largest Dia de los Muertos celebration in San Diego County and one of the largest in Southern California.

To accommodate the increase in foot traffic and crowd sizes, Old Mission San Luis Rey has added 2 free shuttle stops at El Camino High School and the Rancho Del Oro Sprinter Station. Patrons are encouraged to ride the Sprinter to the Rancho Del Oro Station and take the free shuttle. Attendance was estimated at 25,000 people in 2011 and the festival is expecting even more people this year.

“Dia has become so popular we are encouraging people to take the free shuttle service to avoid the traffic delays,” says Maureen Sullivan, director of marketing and events at the Old Mission San Luis Rey.

“Last year there was a 45 minute wait to turn into the Old Mission driveway and the wait on Mission Ave. and 76 highway can take a long time,” says Sullivan.

Double decker shuttle service will begin at 10 am with the last shuttle at 4:30 pm.

Vehicles can still park at the Old Mission San Luis Rey for $5 per car and parking is
limited. Attendees who would like to park close to the event shouldn’t worry about
parking delays.

“We are working closely with the City of Oceanside’s traffic division and implementing new solutions to mitigate any traffic backups,” says Sullivan.

Dia de los Muertos is an annual celebration from South America that focuses on the gathering of friends and family to remember loved ones who have passed away.

The roots of Dia de los Muertos date back thousands of years and today many cultures celebrate this event.

Fun for all ages! The day’s festivities include: elaborate altars composed of thousands of marigolds provided by Mellano & Company; a chalk cemetery; a sold out car show hosted by Por Siempre Car Club; live entertainment featuring traditional and native themed dances; a Catrina character costume contest; arts, crafts, jewelry and Dia themed wares vendors. Delicious food vendors will have everything from tamales, pupusas, tacos, home made ice cream and Pan de Muerto available for purchase.

Carnival rides are available throughout the weekend starting on Friday, Oct. 26th from 5- 11 pm, Saturday, Oct. 27th from 1 -11 pm, and on Sunday, Oct. 28th from 10 am - 4 pm. Pre-sale tickets are available at the Mission office.

Sponsoring the event is Tri-City Medical Center. Media partners include Telemundo 33, Entravision, Radio Latina 104.5 fm, KxYx 96.5 fm and Energy 103.7 fm.

Event information can be found at www.MSLRDiaDeLosMuertos.com

The Old Mission San Luis Rey is located at 4050 Mission Ave., Oceanside, California.

Questions can be directed to Maureen Sullivan at 760-757-3651 or to event coordinator Briana Wagner at 760-473-4516.