SOLANA BEACH — A ballet folklórico group from Solana Beach’s La Colonia de Eden Gardens has opened a GoFundMe after several dance costumes were stolen at the city’s Día de los Muertos event last weekend.
Grupo Jalisciense Folklórico is a dance troupe performing traditional Mexican folk dance, made up of mostly youth from Eden Gardens, led by dance instructor Elba Montes. They perform in cities all over North County.
The group said that, following their performance at the Día de los Muertos celebration at La Colonia Community Park on Oct. 22, they found that five costumes, as well as a backpack and several other items, had been stolen from under a canopy near the basketball court.
Montes said the stolen costumes are authentic dresses from Michoacán that cost around $2,000 total. The group reported the theft to police, and while there were security cameras on site, the canopy blocked any view of the incident.
“It is sad, I have been in the community for 30 years and this is the first time something like this happened,” Montes stated, adding that the group regularly practices and performs at La Colonia park and community center.
Some group members’ street clothing that was also removed was able to be recovered from a trash can in the park.
“The dresses were costly, and they need to be replaced soon so this wonderful group can continue to perform,” Lisa Montes, founder of the La Colonia Community Foundation, said on social media.
The group is hoping to raise $2,000 via GoFundMe to cover the costs of the costumes. The fundraiser can be found online at bitly.ws/YYFw
This story was updated to include statements from Elba Montes
