Established in 2023, La Ofrenda Festival, Gilroy’s Dia de Muertos Festival & Wellness Fair honors, celebrates and preserves Indigenous traditions, securing our cultural legacy in South County. Through our family-friendly, multi-generational celebration, we aim to bridge the gap between arts, culture and wellness.
Craft — Creative Economy
We believe in the transformative power of a sustainable creative economy. We showcase local arts and culture contributors, ensuring fair compensation for all creatives involved.
Cultura — Heritage Preservation
We recognize the vital importance of cultural transmission and exchange as a vehicle for fostering empathy across communities and generations.
Comunidad — Holistic Wellness
In collaboration with health services, community wellness partners, and public agencies, we extend their outreach to residents of South County, promoting access to holistic well-being for all.
Our Founding Partners
La Ofrenda Festival is a grantee of Gilroy Elevates the Arts, a program of SVCreates, with support from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, the City of Gilroy, and the County of Santa Clara. We are fiscally sponsored by Local Color, 501c3.
2023 marked the start of an amazing new legacy for South County.
La Ofrenda Festival was made possible by a rich web of artists, local leaders, philanthropy, community organizations, public and private partnerships and of course the beautiful families of Gilroy, South County and beyond. Below is a but a snapshot of what we accomplished.
*According to Arts and Economic Prosperity 6 by Americans for the Arts, attendees at Santa Clara County's nonprofit arts and culture events spend an average of $39.56 per person, per event, beyond the cost of admission on items such as meals, parking, and lodging.
Meet the team
Ruben Dario Villa, Director
Carolina Perez, Lead
Zach Hilton, Lead
Orlando Salcedo, Artist
Armando Franco, Artist
David Hernandez-Baltazar, Assisting Artist
Jade Castañeda, Assisting Artist
Berenice Hernandez-Baltazar, Artist
Joey Castañeda, Artist
Hortencia Martin, Lead
Toni Bowles, Lead
Melanie Reynisson, Co-Director