For three decades, the “casita amarilla” in Sherman Heights has filled the air with the aromas of incense, pan de muerto and fresh marigolds every November, bringing in thousands of community members and maybe even something more.
Sherman Heights Community Center is celebrating 31 years of Día de los Muertos traditions in 2025. Originating in 1994, the month-long celebrations started with one resident from Oaxaca, Mexico, Domingo Sandoval, who brought the tradition to San Diego with a few alters and marigolds.
Since then, the celebration has bloomed. Today, there are three weeks of programming, more than 25 community altars and thousands of people who visit each year.
“I feel that it’s an honor to be involved in the celebration…it’s also very important for the community to keep these traditions,” said Daniela Kelly, executive director of Sherman Heights Community Center.
“A lot of the folks that grew up with this celebration might not have the time or the possibilities to travel back to their home state. So to have a place where that is available to them… It’s really meaningful.”
The festivities began on Oct. 9 with the Noche de Mole, a night for gathering friends and family together to enjoy the Mexican cuisine. Wrapping up on the final day of Día de los Muertos, Nov. 2, there will be a community procession.
Día de los Muertos is a holiday older than Christmas, dating back at least 3,000 years to Aztec and Olmec rituals. The holiday honors those who have passed and spans the first two days of November.
At Sherman Heights Community Center, this holiday represents more than culture; it represents a commitment to the community, a core part of the community center’s mission.
Kelly expresses that a focus for the celebrations is to ensure that it is done for the community and by the community. Tens of volunteers come together each year to support this cause.
“It’s just in the little details and the amount of volunteers that come and dedicate their time to the community center, whether it’s being involved in the putting up of the event, or leading classes or doing the face painting for students… The joy, the spark of life, really comes when everyone is here, supporting one another and enjoying being in each other’s company,” Kelly said.
The center also prioritizes attracting youth to the celebration through educational events. On October 22, they dedicated a day to the younger generation and throughout the month, they offer guided tours for students. The center is expecting more than 1800 students to participate in this year’s activities.
“We’re still keeping true to those initial ideas about how to celebrate Dia de los Muertos in the Sherman way,” Kelly said.
“I feel that’s what I’m most proud of, is the continuation of the celebration in the way that’s very particular to the community center and the community that supports it.”
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