CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Hundreds of people kicked off their weekend at the 16th annual Dia De Los Muertos festival in downtown Corpus Christi.
Layla De La Peña is a volunteer for the festival and is helping keep one of the holiday's richest traditions alive.
"It's a really nice feeling putting up the pictures and taking them down every year," De La Peña said.
De La Peña helped put together the festival's community ofrenda, a tradition that she says she has the honor of being a part of.
"I get to see who was put up, who is new. We also have like our little groups of people we put together because we think they would be friends in the afterlife," she said.
De La Peña says that every year she's worked the festival, she's seen more and more pictures join the community ofrenda.
"I feel like people are drawn to this event because it's honestly not even just celebrating the Hispanic culture. It's also anyone who is celebrating their loved ones who have passed and just sharing their life story and it's very beautiful."
Elissa Vaughn is also keeping the tradition of the flower crown alive as her and her family are back at the festival for a fourth year to share their handmade creations.
"I have jewels that I'll glue on there. I have flowers, little skulls, skeletons. Pretty much whatever I can get my hands on, I'll put it on a crown," Vaughn said.
Though the holiday is rooted in Mexican culture, just like people of all backgrounds find interest in her flower crowns, Vaughn says the same goes for Dia De Los Muertos.
"I think it's the overall meaning of the whole tradition. It's just remembering your loved ones that have passed and keeping their memory alive and honoring them. I think that's something that everyone can relate to," she said.