photo by: Rochelle Valverde

Volunteers with the Lawrence Percolator, foreground, assist attendees Maria Serrata, her son Freddy and her daughter Renata, in making crowns with tissue-paper flowers and other decorations.

Hundreds of community members gathered Sunday at John Taylor Park for a Día de Muertos event to honor and remember departed loved ones.

The event, organized by Somos Lawrence and the Lawrence Percolator, featured a community altar dedicated to the people who nourish us, including those who grow, harvest, package, process and serve our food. Community members could write the names of people who have nourished them on paper hands, which were scattered around the altar. The main altar was designed by artists Juan Hernández and Tonatiuh Hernández, of Mexico, who also conducted community workshops in Lawrence the week preceding the event.

photo by: Rochelle Valverde

A man observes the Día de Muertos community altar before the crowds arrive.

photo by: Rochelle Valverde

Attendees of a community Día de Muertos event view the main altar, dedicated to the people who nourish us, Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026, at John Taylor Park.

photo by: Rochelle Valverde

Paper hands inscribed with names form a ring around the main altar. Community members could contribute notes to the altar as part of the event.

photo by: Rochelle Valverde

A pair of papier-mâché hands, their palms filled with produce, meat and other food, are suspended above skeleton figurines, fruits and vegetables, candles and other offerings as part of the main altar.

photo by: Rochelle Valverde

The main altar featured numerous papier-mâché skeleton figurines and food offerings.

photo by: Rochelle Valverde

A larger-than-life papier-mâché skeleton holds a basket of produce.

photo by: Rochelle Valverde

Altars for departed loved ones were scattered throughout the park grounds, and families and organizations could also enter their altar into a contest as part of the event.

photo by: Rochelle Valverde

Pan de muerto, which was added to the altar by Centro Hispano supervisor and care coordinator Lily Romero, was among the many offerings of food and drinks included in the altar.

photo by: Rochelle Valverde

Erin Adamson, a board member with the Early Childhood Collective of Douglas County, pours coffee into a cup in front of a photo of her grandparents. The collective partnered with Centro Hispano on the altar, which was dedicated to mothers.

photo by: Rochelle Valverde

A man spreads marigold petals, which serve as a guide for returning spirits, along the border of the main altar.

photo by: Rochelle Valverde

Umut Bayramoglu, a board member with the Lawrence Percolator and a volunteer with Somos Lawrence, lights incense along the border of the main altar.

photo by: Rochelle Valverde

Monica Díaz explains the significance of the salt included in her family altar to attendees. Salt is a symbol of purification and protection, and the “cruz de sal,” or salt cross, is a gesture of respect and positive energy used in Día de Muertos altars.