Walking with the Dead: Avenida de Altares
This year, Avenida de Altares brought together many parts of East San Jose in a way that felt both familiar and very new. The Mexican Heritage Plaza was full of families moving from one altar to the next. There were quiet moments, crowded moments, and a lot of joy in between. People stopped for face painting, food, the vendor market, and the big performance from Ozomatli that pulled everyone in. There was also a lot of excitement around the lucha libre matches, which added to the energy of the night.
Sustainable transportation to a cultural celebration
Transform worked with the School of Arts and Culture to support the event by gathering information about how people traveled and what barriers they experienced. Earlier in the year, we completed a walk audit and a focus group that gave us a clearer picture of the conditions around the plaza to support sustainable travel options.
One of the most meaningful parts of the event was the honorary altar for the MACSA Youth Center. The organization was an important part of the neighborhood for years, but the building was heavily damaged in a large fire earlier this year. Many people in the community shared stories about growing up with MACSA, attending programs there, or having a family member who did. There were many types of altars throughout the plaza, and the MACSA altar stood out as a place where people paused to remember and reflect. Photos of the fire and past MACSA programs helped tell the story, and the altar became a place where people talked about the loss and also the importance of keeping cultural spaces alive.
A welcoming space — despite ICE
In the days before the event, the community got a notice reassuring everyone that they were welcome and safe amid rising fears about ICE being active in the Bay Area. This message mattered. It shaped how people decided to attend, who chose to bring their families, and how long people stayed once they arrived. It reminded us that transportation choices are tied to trust and comfort, not only the physical conditions on the street.
Creating community and walkability together
There is still a long road ahead to make East San Jose safer and more accessible for walking, biking, and transit. The event itself showed what is possible when the community gathers in a place that feels like home. The challenge now is building a transportation system that supports that energy.
Over the next few weeks, Transform will review transit ridership data from the night of Avenida de Altares and compare it with that of the same period from last year. Once we have that information, we will share a short report and look at how travel patterns are changing over time and what that means for future events. The hope is to understand not only how people arrived this year but also what it will take to help more people choose to walk, bike, or ride transit in the years ahead.
