Mérida, Yucatán — The 2014 Paseo de las Ánimas drew 40,000 people, twice as many people as last year, the city announced yesterday.
The city also noted that the crowd tended to be younger, with many foreigners also present.
The Paseo de las Ánimas, which on Friday marked Hanal Pixan, or Day of the Dead, was a festival of street entertainment stretching from the General Cemetery to the San Juan park. The city, which invested MX$290,000 in the event, got a bang for their buck:
- Along the streets were 312 altars, 62 more than expected. In contrast, 200 altars were installed last year, and 150 in 2012.
- The Tourism Department offered a program for international visitors through the Turiamigos group who informed and guided 3,000 visitors.
- In the General Cemetery, 1,200 people gathered where three guided tours were offered.
- The city collected 21 cubic meters of garbage during and after the event.
- Media coverage was extensive both locally, and in Mexico City. National Geographic Traveler magazine will feature it in their next issue, the city said.
- Three radio stations installed platforms where they broadcast the event live.
- And on Twitter, the event was a trending topic most of Friday and early Saturday. Hashtag PaseoDeLasAnimas reached 336,194 accounts, with over a million impressions.
