Three-year-old Kinsley Corbin, dressed as Anna from the movie “Frozen”(left), has her face painted by Cheryl Payne, an early education facilitator with East Texas Crisis Center, during ETCC’s 2019 Hope Awards and Trunk-or-Treat in 2019 on the square in downtown Tyler.

With a goal to fuse the community as one, a Calaveritas (little skulls) Trunk-or-Treat event will be held Sunday in downtown Tyler to celebrate Halloween and the Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) holiday.

Event organizer and community leader Paulina Pedroza said the idea came about after the community’s response to a recent Tyler event.

“After the Texas Rose Festival parade and the great response of the community (with the inclusion of a Hispanic tribute float), they’ve been wanting more. Two hours of the parade were not enough so that’s why now we’re putting in six hours of more culture, traditions and to be able to fuse together our two worlds which is a trunk-or-treat event, an American-based event which Latinos don’t usually do,” she said.

Pedroza said candy will be given away to children at the event, but there will also be performances of Aztec dances, music by a band and mariachi, DJ, sale of Mexican artisan products, and even a Selena costume contest to honor the Hispanic-American Texan singer.

She said the main goal of the event is to unite all residents of Tyler and continue spreading traditions of other cultures throughout the city.

Those giving out candy for children, which are highly recommended to wear costumes to receive, will be ranging from local businesses, nonprofit organizations, school districts and more. Attendees can also learn more about services provided by local organizations and nonprofits, which is another mission of the event, said Pedroza.

There will also be other kids activities and food trucks on-site.

By celebrating Dia de los Muertos, Pedroza hopes those who attend learn more about the Nov. 1 holiday that honors and celebrates the loved ones who have passed away.

“This event is important to us, when it comes to talking about calaveritas and Day of the Dead, it’s to honor those who aren’t here with us anymore. We have respect for the fact that death exists and instead of depriving us of that, we try to find a gentle way and a happy tone for everything, even this event,” she said.

Pedroza is excited to see this event come together, especially to meet the needs of local Hispanic businesses who were seeking more events to involve the Hispanic community and unite Tyler as a whole.

“Local Hispanic businesses continued asking for more, they are wanting to continue contributing locally to what the community is and to continue blending with each other,” she said.

She mentioned that she hopes to turn the event into an annual event, and invites the East Texas community to come together and take part.

Families who have children are suggested to bring their own bags and candy buckets to carry the candy. Those interested in the Selena contest will have to pre-register by sending Pedroza a message via Facebook. The winner, chosen based on costume and a performance, will be given a $300 gift card to Ruby’s Mexican Restaurant and second place will be given a $150 gift card to Accessorio’s Lupita. 

The event is set from 1 to 6 p.m. Sunday at the square in downtown Tyler. For more information, go to the events page at https://www.facebook.com/events/819362532519694?ref=newsfeed.