Dia de los Muertos

It was a cold, blustery Ohio day turned into a Southern California fiesta! Bakersfield has a reputation for hosting a good time, but for Dia de los Muertos, they were definitely prepared to party in our sporadic Mid-​Western climate.
Greeted with an archway of balloons and classic country music, the parking lot at 12^th and Vine was perfectly laid out with drink booths, food booths, activities and tables. Never mind that it was 50º; numerous space heater towers were placed next to each table and made the entire event space feel like a mild day.
Faces By Jen painted up the crowd Day of the Dead style, each patron getting a custom design. This wasn’t wimpy carnival face painting either; Jen’s team dolled people up with full white face paint, black noses and skeleton detailing, plus vibrant accent colors for the occasion. Some folks had their whole face painted, others did half and half, and some had just a few accents to enhance their costume.
Speaking of costumes, there were plenty of creative outfits present including both Dia de los Muertos style, and pop culture Halloween. Tim Burton’s Mad Hatter won best of show, alongside a man painted blue as Avatar, a stewardess, Batman, and a group of four women wearing adorable tiny top hats.
Bakersfield served up margaritas and three kinds of tacos. I first tried the carnitas, which satisfied my craving for spicy beef. Next, the server suggested I try their new recipe they were testing. I like adventure, so I sunk my teeth into what looked like a new steak taco. Tender and flavorful, their new recipe was actually heart and liver! I was surprised too, and wouldn’t have asked for it had I known what I was eating in the first place. If you have the chance, give it a try!
Surrounded by friends, warmth, good food, good music, and the essence of Halloween, Dia de los Muertos was a spooktacular way to start off the weekend.