<p>Eric Cox: Welcome to Sugar Skull City. For the next few weeks, downtown Aurora is honoring Día de los Muertos, Day of the Dead, a longstanding Mexican cultural tradition, both beloved and widely celebrated. From shopping and food specials to storefronts decorated by local artists, for the second year in a row, downtown Aurora has been transformed into an area dedicated to Day of the Dead, or Día de los Muertos. A holiday that reunites the living and dead. Organizers are calling it Sugar Skull City, after the ornate skulls or [foreign language 00:00:37] used to celebrate the annual occasion. Aurora Downtown's the nonprofit behind the idea. They're encouraging visitors to enjoy self-guided tours and scavenger hunts, complete with prizes for participants who tag Downtown Aurora's page on Instagram.</p> <p>Samantha Eliceche: I think that's incredible that they're getting passionate about stuff that we're passionate about. It helps make a bigger community and everybody more welcome.</p> <p>Eric Cox: Samantha Eliceche works at Una Voz Latino Immigration &amp; Legal Center, one of over 40 businesses taking part in Sugar Skull City.</p> <p>Samantha Eliceche: In the past years they've done a couple of things, but this is like... I think this one tops all the other years. It's just great to see everybody working together to celebrate a culture.</p> <p>Eric Cox: Eliceche and her coworkers are creating their own [foreign language 00:01:21], or offerings made in honor of loved ones that have passed. The alters are adorned with bright flowers, photos of the departed, and objects they loved.</p> <p>Samantha Eliceche: It's nice to embrace those that have passed away in your family, not to forget about them, just to celebrate their lives, to see the beauty of everything. This is a great time. This isn't supposed to be sad. Day of the Dead is a celebratory event.</p> <p>Eric Cox: But the biggest [foreign language 00:01:49] around may be the one right next door, inside the Aurora Art and History Center. This is the biggest [foreign language 00:01:56] I've ever seen.</p> <p>Ernesto Valencia: And everything is handmade. They come in from Mexico, all the decoration.</p> <p>Eric Cox: Ernesto Valencia is one of the creators behind this 10 foot tall double-sided [foreign language 00:02:08], dedicated to Frida Kahlo, a famous Mexican painter best known for her beautiful self-portraits.</p> <p>Ernesto Valencia: She always liked to drink tequila, and this [foreign language 00:02:19] is traditional to people having the Day of the Dead. And also they say that Frida liked [foreign language 00:02:26]. It is the reason we have [foreign language 00:02:28].</p> <p>Eric Cox: But will embracing Mexican culture with colorful decor and festive deals be enough to bring more people downtown? Small business owners impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic certainly hope so.</p> <p>Salvador Leon: Everything helps out, so we can get back on track.</p> <p>Eric Cox: Salvador Leon runs Leon's Barber Shop on Galena Boulevard. He says the event's already offering up some much-needed support.</p> <p>Salvador Leon: Business definitely has slowed down, but with all this that they're doing, like Día de los Muertos, it's bringing people in downtown, people coming together.</p> <p>Yvonne Thompson: I think it kind of unites the community. It just brings color and vibrancy to the area. And I think that it's a really great opportunity for people to get out and discover more about the culture and more about the event and also support the downtown area.</p> <p>Eric Cox: Yvonne Thompson owns the Cottonseed Creative Exchange on Broadway Street, a boutique store offering a wide array of art and other items, from clothing to coffee. Despite all her shop has to offer, Thompson says the coronavirus still caused problems for the business. She believes community focused efforts like Sugar Skull City will help turn the tide.</p> <p>Yvonne Thompson: Eventually, things will get back to what they used to be. So we're really excited just to keep moving forward, despite all the obstacles that we've kind of dealt with.</p> <p>Eric Cox: Sugar Skull City continues in downtown Aurora through November 7th. For more details on how you can come out and enjoy the event, visit our website, <a href="https://talkingcities.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">talkingcities.com</a>.</p>