Martinez Tribune The website of the Martinez Tribune.
BY BRIAN LINDSTROM
For Rosanna Torres and her family, a Friday evening in downtown Martinez offered two reasons to come out: A chance to enjoy an outing with their young son and an opportunity to remember loved ones who had died.
The Walnut Creek family was visiting the event for the first time. They regularly look for fun, family-friendly activities around the area, Torres said, and their son’s face painting was a highlight. But the significance of Día de los Muertos made the evening more than another family outing.
Their experience reflected the combination of celebration and remembrance at downtown Martinez’s First Friday gathering on Nov. 6. The Mexican holiday honors loved ones who have died, bringing their memory into the lives of those still here.
Young families made up much of the crowd, alongside a welcoming mix of older visitors. Children, parents and older generations shared the downtown streets, with vendor booths, glowing balloons and face painting adding to the evening’s activity.
For someone discovering downtown Martinez, as I was, the setting was a surprise. The town has a charm I hadn’t expected. Walking through it, the phrase that came to mind was “a diamond in the rough.”
The gathering also brought a tangible benefit to at least one downtown business.
Leanne Vercellini, who has owned Attic Child Home for seven months, said the store has been a downtown Martinez staple for 35 years. When asked whether First Fridays have been a net positive for her business, she answered without hesitation.
“100% positive, about a 20% uptick in daily sales versus the other Fridays,” Vercellini said.
Her experience offers one merchant’s perspective on what an evening event can mean for the surrounding shops. For visitors, the attraction might be a child’s activity or a chance to explore somewhere new. For a local business, those visits can translate into sales.
By this reporter’s estimate, the crowd had reached about 1,000 during my visit, though that was not an official attendance count. Even with that turnout, parts of the event felt spread out, with noticeable open space between areas of activity. There appeared to be room for more booths and participation even as the event grows.
Still, the evening’s meaning wasn’t measured only in attendance or business receipts. For Torres and her family, it was also a special time to reflect on people they have lost.
That connection felt personal to me. My mother’s side of the family is from Brazil, and this time of remembrance matters to my family too. I made a necklace in honor of my grandfather. Our family’s traditions should not be confused with the Mexican celebration, but remembering someone we love is a feeling we can all share.
That was what stood out most in Martinez: An evening with space for children to have fun, businesses to welcome visitors and families to keep loved ones in their thoughts. A town I hadn’t known well gave me a reason to return.
