MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- A day full of celebration, traditional music, and a chance to honor those who aren't with us anymore.

Hundreds came to the Forest Home Cemetery on Saturday morning for the 7th annual Dia De Los Muertos 5K Run/Walk and Festival.

The event kicked off with runners tearing through the grounds, many wearing skeletal costumes and face paint.

"Watching Lynn come over the finish line, that's my favorite memory," said runner Ian Pritchard, who noted they've participated over the last five or so years.

Lynn Pritchard agreed, adding this is their favorite race in the area.

"Just having a tradition like this and also honoring one of the community's cultural traditions," Lynn Pritchard said. "It's very nice to be able to take part in that even though that's not our ethnicity but that it's shared with us in a way where I can really appreciate."

While a live mariachi band cheered participants on in the background, other attendees headed to the festival area where vendors displayed all kinds of goods ranging from foods to desserts to accessories.

"Seeing the altars, the face paint, the people that really go all out for the event, it's just beautiful to see," said Viviana Rodriguez of Vivi's Sweet Treats. "It's like having a little piece of home away from home."

For many, the event was a chance to remember people you love with the people you love.

"I think extremely important, it's part of remembering and honoring your family and loved ones that have passed and remembering them and bringing them back to life for a bit of the day," said attendee Maria Vandixhorn, who came with her friends Juliana Lara and Dani Barcenas.

The trio all wore matching homemade floral headbands and had donned fresh face paint.

"I think it's awesome because it brings out so many other people too, not only the people who celebrate Dia De Los Muertos but a lot of other cultures," Barcenas said. "Being informed and coming out and celebrating this, it's super cool, yeah."

Organizers said moving forward, they hope to continue expanding the celebrations.

"As a community event, it was inspired by somebody who came in and said, hey, I would like to talk to you about this," said Jason Seymour, the president of the cemetery. "It really became something special over the last seven or eight years."