-
A dancer from Quetzalcoatl Aztec Dance Group performs during the Fort Collins BIPOC Alliance’s annual Día de los Muertos celebration in Old Town Square Nov. 1. While the event focused on celebrating and the traditions of the Mexican holiday, organizers honored other marginalized communities as well. Alongside the community ofrenda, the event featured an ofrenda for those in the African-American community and for members of the LGBTQIA+ community who lost their lives unjustly.
Collegian | Cerys Hembury
-
Two young dancers perform in front of a crowd during the Fort Collins BIPOC Alliance’s annual Día de los Muertos celebration in Old Town Square Nov. 1. The dancers, part of Quetzalcoatl Aztec Dance Group, performed alongside a mariachi band and vocalists to celebrate the traditional Mexican holiday dedicated to pay respects to family and community members who have died.
Collegian | Cerys Hembury
-
A dancer from Quetzalcoatl Aztec Dance Group looks out into the crowd during a performance in Old Town Square Nov. 1.
Collegian | Cerys Hembury
-
A dancer from Quetzalcoatl Aztec Dance Group shakes a maraca while dancing during the Fort Collins BIPOC Alliance’s annual Día de los Muertos celebration in Old Town Square Nov. 1.
Collegian | Cerys Hembury
-
Emily López sings “La Llorona,” a Mexican folk song derived from an urban legend, with a local mariachi band in Old Town Square Nov. 1. López was previously featured on the Spanish-language television show “Tengo Talento, Mucho Talento.”
Collegian | Cerys Hembury
-
A dancer from Quetzalcoatl Aztec Dance Group twirls her dress while dancing during the Fort Collins Día de los Muertos celebration in Old Town Square Nov. 1.
Collegian | Cerys Hembury
-
Two young dancers from Quetzalcoatl Aztec Dance Group spin in a circle as part of a performance during the Fort Collins Día de los Muertos celebration in Old Town Square Nov. 1.
Collegian | Cerys Hembury
-
Performers from Quetzalcoatl Aztec Dance Group dance folklorico during the annual Día de los Muertos celebration in Old Town Square Nov. 1. Día de los Muertos, a multiday celebration welcoming the spirits of the deceased back to their living family, is often celebrated through dance, music, creation of ofrendas, and other traditions.
Collegian | Cerys Hembury
-
Dancers from Quetzalcoatl Aztec Dance Group perform for a crowd in Old Town Square Nov. 1. The dance group’s founder Francisco Espinoza said he created the group to support the Mexican community “as they share their Mexican culture through the traditional folkloric dance.”
Collegian | Cerys Hembury
-
A dancer from Quetzalcoatl Aztec Dance Group dances with a community member in Old Town Square Nov. 1. The event organizers invited the crowd to join the dancers as the mariachi band played. Alianza NORCO, an immigration rights organization that benefited from proceeds of the event, held the cultural celebration in conjunction with the Muertos Cantina Crawl.
Collegian | Cerys Hembury
-
A dancer from Quetzalcoatl Aztec Dance Group performs with a group during the Fort Collins BIPOC Alliance’s annual Día de los Muertos celebration in Old Town Square Nov. 1. The dance group performs in the community with the goal of preserving Mexican folkloric traditions and passing them down to future generations.
Collegian | Cerys Hembury
Categories:
Gallery: Fort Collins celebrates Día de los Muertos
November 3, 2026
More to Discover
About the Contributor
Cerys Hembury, Photo Director
Cerys Hembury is a second-year student studying political science and English. After working as a staff photographer during her first year, she is now one of the acting photo directors for the 2026-27 school year.
Hembury was born and raised in Aspen, Colorado, and after spending 18 years in the state, she figured the move to Fort Collins wouldn’t entail many surprises. However, she soon found out that much like a trip along I-70, this town is more complex than it seems on the map. During her year as a staff photographer, Hembury fell in love with Fort Collins’ deceptive simplicity. Layers of music culture, outreach programs, locally owned businesses and love for the outdoors revealed themselves with each passing photo assignment.
Under the guidance of Cait Mckinzie and Sofia Raikow, her photo director and assistant photo director respectively, she grew in both knowledge and confidence. It was largely thanks to them that her photos of the second Fort Collins No Kings protest were published by The Colorado Sun, an accomplishment that 14-year-old Hembury would never have imagined when she spent her first paycheck on a Canon camera.
This year, she looks forward to upholding The Collegian’s legacy by leading the newspaper’s team of photographers to create impactful photojournalism. Every edition of The Collegian serves the students who create it and the students who read it. Being part of that history enriches connections between community members, both in the university and beyond.