This is your opportunity to support Para Los Niños’ programs, while at the same time enjoying some delicious homemade Mexican tamales!

But you’d better act fast – the deadline to place orders is this Friday, March 4th.

Tamales will be ready to pick up on Monday, March 7th, from 10am-8:00pm at their office, which is located at at 425 SW 144th Street in Burien.

Two options are available:

• Chicken tamales with green sauce
• Vegetarian tamales with poblano peppers,vegetables and cheese

They are asking for a minimum $25 donation for a dozen tamales.

You can make your payment on their website using the PayPal button, or make checks payable to Para Los Niños or bring cash when you pick them up.

Please email your orders to info@plnwa.org, or if you have any questions call (206) 241-7900.

About Para Los Niños
Para Los Niños is a non-profit community-based organization with the mission to increase the academic success of Latino students through parent and community engagement.

For additional information about Para Los Niños please visit their webiste: www.plnwa.org.

Dia De Muertos, aka “Day of the Dead,” will be coming to the White Center Community Cultural Center on Nov. 1st and 2nd, and residents are encouraged to participate by building an alter, showing off some artwork or just visiting alters created by others.

This is one of our personally favorite holiday celebrations, not only for us to pay respects to our own departed loved ones, but to enjoy the very interesting and oftentimes humorous culture surrounding it.

The Community Cultural Center is located at 9421 18th Ave SW in White Center.

Here’s more info and a cool-looking flier:

DIA DE MUERTOS OR DAY OF THE DEAD is holiday celebrated in central and southern Mexico during the days of November 1 & 2.

Even though this coincides with the Catholic holiday called All Soul’s & All Saint’s Day, which is celebrated by Folks in parts of Italy, Spain, Central & South America and the Philippines.

The indigenous people of Mexico have combined this with their own ancient beliefs of honoring their deceased loved ones.

They believe that the gates of heaven are opened at midnight on October 31, and the spirits of all deceased children (angelitos) are allowed to reunite with their families for 24 hours. On November 2, the spirits of the adults allowed to come down.

In most Indian villages, beautiful altars (ofrendas) are made in each home. They are decorated with candles, buckets of flowers (wild marigolds) mounds of fruit, peanuts, plates of food, stacks of tortillas and big Day-of-the-Dead breads called pan de muerto. The altar needs to have lots of food, drinks, salt, bread and water for the weary spirits. Toys and candies are left for the angelitos, and on Nov. 2, cigarettes and shots of mezcal are offered to the adult spirits.

Day of the Dead is a very expensive holiday for these self-sufficient, rural based, indigenous families. Many spend over two month’s income to honor their dead relatives. They believe that happy spirits will provide protection, good luck and wisdom to their families. Ofrenda building keeps the family close.

On the afternoon of Nov. 2, the festivities are taken to the cemetery.

People clean tombs, play cards, listen to the village band and reminisce about their loved ones. Tradition keeps the village close.

Please join us in Celebrating the DIA DE MUERTOS by building an alter, showing off some artwork or just visiting the alters created by others.

There will be a live Mexican dance presentation by the “Grupo Folklorico Danza Regional Guelaguetza” dance troupe this Sunday, Aug. 15th, from 2:30pm – 3:30pm at the El Tianguis open-air Latino market, located at Burien Town Square.

According to market Director Mateo Monda, this group performed at last year’s Folk Life festival in Seattle.

El Tianguis market runs from 10am – 4pm, and products include Latino food and beverages, arts and crafts, home and garden, clothing, electronics, and many other items that are traditionally available in markets in Latino countries.

More info available at their website here: www.elmercado.org.

El Tianguis, the first Latino-themed street market in the region, is set to open this Sunday, May 30th, in the Town Square Park of downtown Burien. The weekly market will feature goods and services that are traditionally found in open-air markets in Latino countries, including food and drink, fresh fruits and vegetables, clothing, arts and crafts, and much more.

The market is open not only to Latinos, but to anyone who appreciates Latino culture, products and amenities.

Not to be confused with a swap meet or a flea market, El Tianguis Latino Market will offer up a fun, family atmosphere that is a fusion between a Farmer’s Market and a street fair. Vendors are encouraged to offer their products at competitive prices so that clients feel welcome to do their regular shopping at the market as well as to indulge in exotic, specialty items.

According to their website, shoppers can expect:

Products will include Latino food and beverages, arts and crafts, home and garden, clothing, electronics, and many other items that are traditionally available in markets in Latino countries.

This weekly market is being put on by El Mercado, PC, a not-for-profit group that is:

…dedicated to the cultural and economic development of the Latino community, and has chosen Burien to launch the market because of the city’s earnest desire to integrate its growing Latino population with the general public. By reaching out to Latinos and offering them a stake in the community, the city of Burien has proven to be a shining example of how to tear down the walls that divide us rather than build them up, of how to embrace our differences rather than to reject them.

The market will be held on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Burien Town Square Park on 5th Place SW between SW 150th & 152nd Streets – at the same location where the current Discover Burien Farmers Market is held.

For more information, or to apply to be a vendor, contact El Mercado, PC, at info@elmercado.org or at 206-334-2285. You can also get more details at their website here: http://elmercado.org/

Photographer Michael Brunk was there to capture both audio and photos of the day, which he’s combined into the following “SoundSlideshow”:

Click to Play Michael Brunk’s SoundSlideshow

Just when you thought that the fun with the skeletons and candy were done, today (Sunday, Nov. 1st) is the official start of Dia de las Muertes, an Hispanic celebration also known as “Day of the Dead.”

We here at The B-Town Blog love this celebration so much that we’ll be at Burien’s only known commemoration starting at 3:30pm, at the Interim Art Space on SW 151st just north of the new Town Square – it’s “Night of 1,000 Pumpkins”!

Sadly, this will be the final event held at B/ IAS before the dismantling begins and the space returns to an empty lot Dec. 31st – all the more reason to come up and celebrate one last time.

In case you’re not familiar with Dia de las Muertes, here’s some info from Wikipedia:

The Day of the Dead (El Día de los Muertos or All Souls’ Day) is a holiday celebrated in Mexico and by Latin Americans living in the United States and Canada. The holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died. The celebration occurs on November 1st and 2nd in connection with the Catholic holiday of All Saints’ Day which occurs on November 1st and All Souls’ Day which occurs on November 2nd. Traditions include building private altars honoring the deceased, using sugar skulls, marigolds, and the favorite foods and beverages of the departed, and visiting graves with these as gifts.

Original Artwork by Danielle Burton. Click image to see large version.

The fun begins today at 3:30pm and goes until dark:

• Bring a carved Pumpkin (or more) with a candle to fill the site with 1,000 lit pumpkins (you can also carve one there)
• Bring something for the community Dia de las Muertes altar (photos of the departed, trinkets, symbols of their lives, etc.)
• Walk through the makeshift cemetery
• Dress up in Day of the Dead costumes/makeup (Calaveras, or skeleton costumes are perfect)
• Pay tribute to your departed loved ones and gather with your neighbor over food, drink and dance
• Celebrate your community, your family and friends one final time at this innovative space
• Face Painting
• Flower Making
• Grand Pumpkin Games
• Sand Painting by artist Amaranta Sandys in the lobby of the Burien Library
• Traditional foods and vendors
• Community created Altars

PERFORMERS:

• 4:30 to 6:30: Trio Lucero del Norte on the B/ IAS Site (Roots Music / Regional Mexican / Folk); 
Trío Lucero del Norte play traditional/regional Mexican music from the Huasteca. Specialists in son huasteco and huapango, they are currently the only local group who play son huasteco with the complete ensemble: violin, jarana and quinta huapanguera. Son huasteco is the zapateado style of Mexican son from the Huasteca region. It formed the basis for many styles of huapango that became popular throughout Greater Mexico. The Huasteca region encompasses the plains region of six states: Hidalgo, Puebla, San Luis Potosí, Querétaro, Veracruz and Tamaulipas.
In addition to sones huastecos and huapangos, Trío Lucero del Norte interpret sones de costumbre for Day of the Dead and Carnaval, sones and cumbias in Náhuatl and Huastecan regional stylings of polkas, canciones rancheras, boleros and cumbias. The three members: Jose Hernández (violin), Modesto Antonio Hernández (quinta huapanguera) and Kim Carter Muñoz (jarana), met when Kim posted an add in the El Paisano, a Mexican Carnicaría/Grocery in White Center.
Kim traveled to Mexico for several years to study son huasteco and sones de costumbre for her graduate studies in Ethnomusicology. After playing with well-known son huasteco musicians in Mexico, including Los Cantores de Pánuco, Soraima y Sus Huastecos, Trio Chicóntepec, Los Caporales de Pánuco and others, she wanted to form her own trío in Seattle.
• 5:30 to 6:30: Los Flacos At the Burien Library; Join with Los Flacos for a musical celebration of El Día de los Muertos. This Latino music group performs a blend of the traditional sounds of Mexico, South America and the Caribbean. Using a variety of instruments, some indigenous to the Americas and others of European and African origin, they create their own renditions of the songs of Latin America. Gather together with friends at the Burien Library to remember and celebrate the lives of those who have died. For More info on Los Flacos.
• 6:30 to 7:30: Pyrosutra on the B/ IAS Site; Pyrosutra is a fire dance collective based out of Seattle, Washington. We combine choreographed bellydance, breakdance and stilt walking with a wide range of professional fire performance techniques and innovative tools.
• 7:30 to 9:30: La Banda Gozona on the B/ IAS Site

Tapetes de Arena or Sand paintings
These “murals” are typically made of sand, sawdust, seeds, flower petals, and pigments. Traditionally, a tapete is made in the home when there is a death in the family. After a period of mourning, the tapete is swept up and entombed with the body of the deceased. Tapetes are also created all over Oaxaca for the Días de los Muertos celebration, and judged along with the ofrendas in the Concursos de Altares de Muertos.

Amaranta Sandys is been collaborating in the making of sandpaintings with Latino artists in Seattle for the last 10 years @ SAM and Tacoma Art Musuem.

We think that if you dig Tim Burton or Danny Elfman, or love Hispanic culture (or even just good ol’ fashioned dead people), you’re sure to enjoy this event (and we can assure you, we’ll be there…).

All pumpkins will be composted through a gift from King County Solid Waste.

Tuesday, May 5th is Cinco de Mayo, the Mexican holiday that gives everyone an excuse to take a shot of tequila on a weekday.

Oh, and it’s also the celebration of the Mexican army’s defeat of French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. However, it is not Mexican Independence Day, nor is it a national holiday in Mexico, but rather a day that can be observed voluntarily.

And no, we’re not going to mention swine flu in this story just to increase our Google pagerank.

Oops…we just did. Dang.

Here’s what’s going on:

BURIEN:
Azteca: 153 SW 157th: Happy Hour All Day 32oz Beer Special

La Costa: 206 SW 152nd: BIG PARTY 9pm-2am Drink Specials & Jello Shots NO COVER

El Rinconsito: 15101 Ambaum Blvd SW: Taco Plate Special

Vino Bello: 636 SW 152nd: 2pm-9pm Beer & Sangria Specials

Tin Room: 923 SW 152nd St: All Mexican Menu & Drink Specials

Sunnydale Tavern: 14404 Des Moines Memorial Drive: Live Music, Beer & Tequila Specials. Jello Shots

Twiggs: 12803 Ambaum Blvd SW: $3 Corona’s

Breaktime Lounge: 635 SW 152nd: $1.00 Taco’s

Barrel Tavern: 11051 1st Ave South: Beer & Food Specials, Regular Jam session. No Cover

WHITE CENTER:
McMurphy’s: 11069 16th Ave SW: Karaoke & Drink Specials

Marv’s Broiler: 9808 16th Ave SW: Appetizer & Drink Specials

Triangle Pub: 9454 Delridge Way SW: Beer & Tequila Specials

Viva Mexico: 10601 16th Ave SW: Beer & Tequila & Appetizer Specials

The El Flamingo in Boulevard Park was used as a cover for a major drug ring.

According to The Seattle Times, the drug ring leader busted in a major Boulevard Park drug raid back in May was sentenced Monday at the US District Court in Seattle to more than six years in prison for conspiracy to distribute cocaine and heroin.

Domingo Bailon-Yanez, 30, a Mexican national, is likely be deported after his prison term, federal prosecutors said.

This was a major drug bust – in all, ten arrests were made, two kilos of cocaine and a pound of heroin seized; along with three guns, eight cars and $40,000 in cash. In May, search warrants netted more than 36 pounds of cocaine, three guns and more than $203,000 in cash.

Fed nicknamed the bust “Operation Pink Tiger,” which referred to the nickname of one of the defendants as well as the lovely, bright pink cellophane wrapping the bad guys so courteously used on their cocaine.

And who said they don’t know how to party in Boulevard Park?

Full story here.

This altar was created by Spanish II students at Highline's Global Connections High School (formerly Tyee).

The altar is aimed at African children who died in conflict.

You'll see sugar skulls at many altars, as an offering/treat to tempt the dead to come back for a visit.

The exhibit/celebration continues Sunday from 10am-6pm, there’s no charge and everyone’s invited to come make or add to an “offrenda” or offering to the dearly departed.

The Burien Community Center is located at 425 SW 144th Street in Burien.