Sugar Skull Time for Moline’s New Dia de los Muertos Parade in October

A new, colorful celebration will be coming to downtown Moline in October.

Dia de los Muertos (or 'day of the dead' in Spanish) is a traditional cultural celebration around the time of Halloween but it is not the Mexican equivalent of the holiday. The parade will be on Saturday, October 22. Dia de los Muertos is actually on Nov. 1-2. It's a colorful, lively celebration to welcome back those who died. In folklore, the dead awaken around the time of Nov. 1-2 to celebrate with their living loved ones. There's food, dancing, music, as the souls of the deceased are treated as honored guests by their family and friends.

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Dia de los Muertos has bright colors, sugar skulls that are ornately decorated (which I love because they're absolutely beautiful), there's traditionally dolls, candy, and more. The parade will be sponsored by R3 Roofing & Exteriors.

If you want to be in the parade, registration for it will open in late April.

Also, any entries must be in line with the parade's theme. So don't wear plain clothes or anything not festive. It's a bright and colorful celebration.

According to their website, here are the categories they will consider:

• Día de los Muertos Themed Floats

• Specialty Units/Groups (including families)

• Marching Musical Units

• Equestrian Units

• Vehicle Clubs

• Commercial/Business Entries

• Non-Profit Groups/School Clubs

The parade's route, time, and more details will be released later. If you want to register for the parade or you have questions about it, reach out to anamaria@mercadoonfifth.org.