Downtown Pomona store owners pay homage to their loved ones, public figures with thoughtful, bright ofrendas
By Anntonete Abuyen, November 10, 2026
Throughout downtown Pomona, many mom-and-pop shops displayed images of their late loved ones and popular artists atop candlelit ofrendas decorated with bright orange marigolds to celebrate Día de los Muertos, also known as Day of the Dead.
Día de los Muertos, celebrated Nov. 1-2, is a Mexican tradition that is rooted in indigenous customs.
Claudia Garcia-Des Lauriers, director of the Kellogg Honors College and an anthropology professor, said, “It’s a very active and beautiful way to remember people, pets or loved ones that you’ve lost.”
A notable symbol of Día de los Muertos is the marigold. Garcia-Des Lauriers said the flower became a staple in the community and an important part of the tradition because it blooms during the season, but especially because of its colors. Its lush, vibrant orange can symbolize sunshine or light, she added.
92Elements is a spiritual wellness store on Garey Avenue, filled with crystals and scented with incense.
The owner of 92Elements, Edith Tejedan, said, “November 1 is when the veil between the dead and the living are (is) the thinnest.”
According to Public Broadcasting Service, because the veil is so thin, the dead return to Earth to visit their living family members. Families fill their altars with food, drinks and other offerings for their dead family members to enjoy when they reunite.
A handful of stores in the city participated in Día de los Muertos, displaying elaborately ornamented ofrendas and radiant marigolds for passersby to admire. The public altars offered an opportunity for cultural awareness and community bonding.
Local Pomona business, 92Elements, chose to celebrate the holiday. Tejedan and the 92Elements team worked on the ofrenda in her store together. Tejedan said they wanted to display people relevant to the holistic, spiritual community.
They chose Pachita, María Savina and María Matuz, who were prominent shamans in Mexico, as well as inventor Nikola Tesla.
Aside from food and drinks, families also welcomed their deceased loved ones with items they once worked with or enjoyed, which is why the altar in her store was filled with spiritual items, Tejedan added.
Pomona Mercantile is a Mexican-owned snack bar in the downtown area operated by Maricela Rodarte that is celebrating Día de los Muertos. At the storefront, marigolds were strung around an adorned ofrenda, framing and highlighting celebrities who have passed away.
“Pomona’s huge on the arts,” Rodarte said. “That’s why we honor musicians.”
Pomona Mercantile’s ofrenda included Mexican artists Selena Quintanilla, Jenni Rivera, Frida Kahlo and Juan Gabriel.
Selena was a famous Mexican American musician in the ‘80s and ‘90s who passed away shortly after her rise to fame. Her music largely contributed to the popularization of Latin music in the United States, and she became the first Tejano artist to win a grammy, according to Smithsonian.
Selena’s death devastated many people. However, Selena’s legacy along with Rivera, Kahlo and Gabriel, will always be remembered through their art and the ofrendas of those who adored them.
The snack bar’s ofrenda curiously housed empty frames. Those frames gave people an opportunity to bring their own images of their loved ones. A young woman brought a photo of her puppy, who recently passed away, and another brought an image of her father, Rodarte said.
Rodarte said she grew up a couple blocks from Downtown Pomona, so community is extremely important to her.
“I wanted to express the love that I have from my community and open it up for anybody to come in and put their loved ones, their pictures,” Rodarte said. “It’s just a way of building community.”
Local bakery and restaurant, El Merendero, dedicated its display window to an ofrenda with a plethora of baked goods, fruits and drinks for each late loved one to have for the Día de los Muertos. Instead of photos, the ofrenda carried signs with names, in remembrance of the business owner’s late family members.
Carmen Trejo, a worker for El Merendero, said the ofrenda is dedicated to the owner’s family, who began the business in Pomona in the ’80s. Día de los Muertos and ofrendas are a great opportunity to show your family and friends how much you love them, Trejo added.
A family-owned florist presented a personal ofrenda in its shop. Minerva Hernandez, owner of Minerva’s Flowers & Craft and the founder of the Pomona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, walked into the boutique with fresh flowers and steaming hot tamales for the ofrenda.
For Día de los Muertos, Minerva Hernandez honored Florentino Hernandez and Simone Hernandez, her late father and brother, as well as two cats named Naranjito and Oreo.
Minerva Hernandez said the holiday is especially important to her because she left a lot of her family, including her father and brother, behind in Mexico. The grief was overwhelming for her, and she became emotional as she spoke about them.
Simone Hernandez served in the military and was killed at age 20. Florentino Hernandez died of cancer 15 years ago.
“I think the last time she saw him (Simone) was when she was around 16,” Christian Hernandez, her son, said.
Christian Hernandez said he didn’t get the chance to know his uncle and doesn’t remember much about his grandfather because he was born in the United States. Despite the disconnect, Christian Hernandez is told that he resembles Simone Hernandez.
Since moving to the United States, about 12 of Minerva Hernandez’s relatives died and she unfortunately did not have the opportunity to say goodbye to them.
Christian Hernandez said Naranjito and Oreo were placed at the bottom of the altar because it is believed that pets visit first. The Hernandez family set out a bowl of cat food on the ofrenda for the two beloved cats to enjoy Nov. 1.
Cats have always been a part of the Hernandez household, once owning about seven cats at a time, Minerva Hernandez said.
Minerva Hernandez came to the United States 37 years ago and believes Día de los Muertos must never be forgotten. She said she wishes to add more images of her other relatives who passed away to honor their memories and be with them one last time.
“We need to respect our tradition,” Minerva Hernandez said. “That’s why I make the altar to (with) my sons, to (with) my granddaughter and teach them how to follow this tradition after I pass away.”
