Colorado Mesa University (CMU) celebrated Halloween and Día de los Muertos with a week of festivities for students and the community. This week-long celebration brought light to Día de los Muertos and the Maverick Spirit, culminating culture and activities to promote togetherness and unity on campus.
CMUertos Week was a student-initiated cultural celebration that blended Día de los Muertos traditions with CMU events and athletics. The week featured themed football uniforms, live performances, a vampire film screening and a themed tailgate before the football game on Halloween.
This was the first time in school history that a week-long celebration was centered around Día de los Muertos. Senior Vice President for Student Services Dr. Roberto Montoya first began contemplating the idea last year when he introduced the Paleteria Cart.
"The Paleteria Cart is an ice cream cart that we have where we give out paletas, which are Mexican popsicles," said Montoya.
When the 2026-27 school year started, Student Services noticed that a football game fell on Halloween and the week of Día de los Muertos. The week was built around the game, and Montoya knew he wanted to push for something special for the football team and its fans.
"We happened to be changing our uniforms, moving over to Nike. We knew we were going to have a new mark, a new logo, so there was this momentum around this time of year, thinking of what we can do," said Montoya. "So, some folks on my team and I asked a question: could we have an alternative football uniform?"
Once the game was settled, it was time to construct a week of festivities that would allow students and the community to get excited for the game and to celebrate Día de los Muertos. Student Services then began working with Marketing, CMU Bands, Student Life and the CMU Foundation to create something that was the first of its kind at CMU.
With all of the moving parts working together, the week was planned and became more real. On Tuesday, CMU's Asteria Theater hosted a double-feature screening of the locally made horror film, American Vampires and its behind-the-scenes documentary. The film is about two bounty hunters uncovering a hidden danger in a quiet Colorado town. The behind-the-scenes documentary highlights CMU Tech students, alumni and the crew behind the film.
American Vampires was written and directed by local filmmaker Hank Braxtan and produced with CMU Tech Digital Filmmaking instructor Josh Meuwly. The project was designed to give CMU Tech students and alumni a hands-on experience in cinematography, lighting, sound and other filmmaking roles, while also generating a local economic impact.
The day before the game on Friday, Metalachi was accompanied by the Rowdy Brass Band for a joint concert at the Mesa Theater in downtown Grand Junction. Metalachi is nationally known as the world's first heavy-metal mariachi band. The long-running performance group fuses classic heavy metal hits with traditional mariachi instrumentation.
Metalachi also took over the tailgate on Halloween morning before the football game, which created a themed, lively environment. The tailgate was free to attend and had a great turnout. The band then brought out the football team as they showcased the new uniforms to the community and fans.
The Mavericks won 59-46 in a shootout at home, paying homage to all of the work that was done behind the scenes of CMUertos Week. Montoya and his team worked diligently alongside many different departments on campus to turn an idea into a demonstration of culture and creativity.
"Everything that we do here, from my standpoint, as Senior Vice President for Student Services, is for students, in service of them," said Montoya. "Trying to engage or participate and fill a deep sense of belonging."
CMUertos Week was a great example of community involvement, featuring community centers, downtown theaters, and CMU's facilities. The week hit on all key elements behind Día de los Muertos: honoring ancestors, celebrating life, community connection and cultural reclamation. CMUertos Week aligned with the ethos of this cultural holiday by reminding both the ones who celebrate and the ones who don't to reflect on past Mavericks, family members, mentors and the broader community that built CMU.
"It allows you to think about your own family history and those who have come before," said Montoya, reflecting on why CMU should celebrate Día de los Muertos. "And all of us, regardless of what your culture is, have a story, have a history, have an ancestry."
The Mavericks walked away with a win in uniforms the campus had never seen, to a crowd that had spent the week showing up for something they had never been asked to celebrate. Montoya's measure of success was simpler than the game itself. Students felt they belonged and the community embraced something that had never been done before.
