Day of the Dead Community Alter

Monday October 20th, through Monday November 3rd, 2008

In the tradition of Dia de los Muertos, we invite you to help us create a Community Altar in honor of deceased loved ones. It is customary to leave those who have preceded us in death small gifts of items they would have enjoyed during their lifetimes, thus nurturing the memory of their lives and letting them know that they remain a part of our lives today.  Every year our community gardeners grow flowers for this wonderful event.

DAY OF THE CHILD                 Sunday, April 19, 2009, 1:00-4:00 p.m.

This yearly event celebrates and honors the children in our lives. The month of April is also College Awareness Month. College can be a life changing experience and a catalyst toward successful life outcomes. Please join us for a fun filled afternoon of good company, lots of information about college, great food, and lots of music!

Annual Thanksgiving Community Dinner (at Beach Flats Park)

Yearly, without fail, the Salvation Army and many wonderful volunteers delight us with a traditional Thanksgiving feast. Great company, lots of food, and for our musical enjoyment, jazz trio, By EAR will play a repertoire of jazz standards.

Come and join us...You get a strong sense of the true meaning of Thanksgiving!!!

Cost: Free

Las Posadas: (The Inns)

The Beach Flats Families, volunteers, and co-sponsors cordially invite you to participate in this year’s celebration of Las Posadas.

The neighborhood children and adults are the pilgrims (peregrinos), who have to request lodging by going house to house singing a traditional song about the pilgrims. All the pilgrims carry small lit candles in their hands, and four people carry small statues of Joseph leading a

donkey, on which Mary is riding. The head of the procession has a candle inside a paper lamp shade. At each house, the resident responds by refusing lodging (also in song), until the weary travelers reach the designated site for the party, where Mary and Joseph are finally recognized and allowed to enter. Once the "innkeepers" let

them in, the group of guests come into the home and kneel around the Nativity scene to pray Christmas in Beach Flats is an important holiday season with strong traditions.

Las Posadas is celebrated every evening from December 16 to 23 in a home in the neighborhood. The last posada takes place on December 23 at Beach Flats Park, and culminates in a neighborhood celebration with music, food and dance. 

For the first Posada we will meet in front of the Beach Flats Park (located in the corner of Raymond Street & Leibrandt Avenue) and begin our procession at 6:00 p.m. sharp. Please call for more information, 420-6125.