Woodstock festival, West Side block party celebrate community

New at 10, a display of Mexican art, food, and culture in Woodstock today as they hosted the third annual Dia de los Muertos festival. It is a Mexican holiday that allows people to pay their respects to family members who've died. Festival goers got to experience traditions like live mariachi music, salsa dancing, games, and contribute to a community of friends. The ofrenda is where we have an altar where we put pictures of our loved ones and some of their favorite food to honor them. If you go and have the opportunity to see our ofrenda, you'll see that there's some dear people on that ofrenda for me from a grandchild to even my grandparents. The festival also features local art and food vendors. There was lots of fun in the Atlanta's West Side. The West Side Stride Block Party kicked off cars on Howell Mill Road there and encouraged people to walk or roll through the vibrant neighborhood. The event featured an outdoor market, DJs, food trucks, and fun for the entire family. Organizers say the festival gives people a chance to support dozens of local shops and vendors. What makes this block party stand out is that it really highlights our local businesses as well as our non-profits that are up and down and around Atlanta. It's an ever-growing community. We have everything from folks that are right out of college, even a lot of college students that attend Georgia Tech and Georgia State live here. But then we also have empty nesters that are coming into the area, and it's just a perfect cross-section of what Atlanta looks like. This was the fourth year for the event, but it was the first time the Upper West Side Improvement District partnered with Atlanta Streets Alive to host it.