Sugar skulls, marigolds, food, music, and processions, it’s that time of year again! Celebrate the Day of the Dead this year from November 1 and 2 with plenty of fun and festivities around the country. If you liked our list last year, you’ll love what we’ve come up with this year!
CALIFORNIA
When: November 2 (noon-midnight)
Where: Hollywood Forever Cemetery, 6000 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood
The famous Hollywood Forever Cemetery will host the 14th annual Dia de los Muertos on Saturday, November 2nd, from noon to midnight. Celebrate with the theme of El Magico Mundo de Los Alebrijes or The Magical World of Alebrijes. Alebrijes are brightly colored Mexican folk art sculptures of fantastical creatures. Want to get a jumpstart on the festivities? Watch the ceremonial altar set up beginning at 5 pm on Friday, November 1, when over 100 altars decorated by members of the community will come to life with offerings. Guests are encouraged to dress up in traditional Dia de Los Muertos costumes (a special prize goes to the best skeleton!) and enjoy Mexican cuisine and arts and crafts. Performance highlights include musical guests Saul Hernandez, Ceci Bastida, Quitapenas, and hundreds of Aztec ritual dancers. General admission is $15 per person. Admission for children eight years and under and seniors 65 and older is free. Click here for tickets.
San Francisco Day of the Dead Procession and Festival of Altars
When: November 3 (6:00-11:00 pm)
Where: Garfield Park, San Francisco
Get ready to march! The San Francisco Day of the Dead Procession begins at 7:00 pm. Walk alongside community members, artists, and Aztec dancers as you celebrate and remember loved ones. When the procession ends, head over to Garfield Park where you will see hundreds of altars lining the perimeter of the grounds. Feel free to place your own candles, marigolds, and mementos on an altar.
25th Anniversary Dia de los Muertos
When: November 2, (4:00-9:00 pm)
Where: Boro Center, Pickleweed Park, 50 Canal Street, San Rafael
Guests can enjoy an afternoon of fun at the 25 Anniversary Dia de los Muertos festival. Events include live music, folklore and Aztec ritual dance performances, art workshops, processions, altar displays, food, and face painting. All of the proceeds from the day’s events go to community groups and schools that help keep the Mexican traditions of Dia de Los Muertos alive. Popular foods like chocolate, bread, and tamales are used in the offerings and are also available for guests to purchase. If you would like to make and dedicate an altar, you can click here for guidelines on how to make and reserve altar space.
Community Day – Dia de los Muertos
When: November 2 (11:00-5:00 pm)
Where: San Jose Museum of Art, 110 South Market Street, San Jose
Spend the day being artsy at the San Jose Museum of Art. Make papel picado, decorate sugar skulls, and create colorful paintings while partying with dancing skeletons. Guests can enjoy live music and learn about the rituals performed at the ofrendas. Admission to this crafty event is free.
NEW YORK
Mano a Mano – Mexican Culture without Borders Day of the Dead Celebration
When: October 31 – November 3
Where: St. Mark’s Church in the Bowery, 10th Street & Second Avenue, Manhattan
It’s back! This year the Mano a Mano Mexican Culture Without Borders Celebration is dedicated to artist José Guadalupe Posada on the 100 anniversary of his death. Guests are invited to bring flowers, photos, and memories of their own loved ones to contribute to the altars. Guests are encouraged to take a tour of the altars and learn about the history and importance behind the ofrendas as well. Tours begin on November 1 and are by appointment only. Mexican food and crafts will be available for purchase as well as shopping in the marketplace, face and skull painting, and a paper flowers workshop. Click here for a full schedule of the daily events. This event is free and open to the public.
When: November 2 at 10:00 am
Where: Tours start one block from Lexington Ave 6 Train Stop, 1651 Lexington Avenue, New York
Bicycle Utopia is a project that provides news about culture, art, and biking in NYC. If you’re feeling physical this holiday, grab your bike and join in the BikeART Day of the Dead Tour. The tour is three hours and includes stops at various Day of the Dead events; including tastings at local restaurant and artist talks. Tickets are $85 per person and all skill levels are invited to come along for the ride.
Next up, Texas, Arizona, Nevada, and New Mexico…
[pagebreak]TEXAS
Lawndale Art Center Dia de los Muertos – 26th Annual Day of the Dead
When: October 21 – November 9
Where: Lawndale Art Center, 4912 Main Street, Houston
For the 26th consecutive year, the Lawndale Art Center is proud to celebrate the Day of the Dead with Mexican art, music, and folk life. The program supports local artists by offering them a space to display their work to audiences. As with many museums, guests are encouraged to bring items to place on the community ofrenda. Continue the celebration on Saturday, November 2 by attending the Family Day Fiesta. Learn how to decorate sugar skulls and make papel picado while enjoying refreshments and musical performances by the Houston Grand Opera and Mixteco Ballet Folklorico.
Dia de los Muertos Street Festival
When: November 2 (3:00 pm – midnight)
Where: 400 & 500 blocks of Starr Street and 600 & 700 blocks of Mesquite, Corpus Christi
Come celebrate the Day of the Dead with live Latin music, handmade jewelry, hats, purses, and tons of games and fun activities. Climb a rock wall or take part in a piñata art loteria! Guests can add their own remembrances to the community altar as well as also contribute to the Indiegogo campaign, in order to help raise funds for next year’s festival. Although this event is free, please consider a contribution here.
ARIZONA
Dia de Los Muertos Fall Festival
When: November 2-3 (10:00 am-5:00 pm)
Where: Desert Botanical Gardens, 1201 N. Galvin Parkway, Phoenix
For the first year, the annual Día de los Muertos festival will take place in the Desert Botanical Garden’s new event plaza. Guests can enjoy entertainment in the forms of music, dance, and storytelling, as well as delicious food. The Garden’s Mercado is chock full of art and jewelry and once you’ve had your fill, step back inside for a beautiful ofrenda exhibit, created by local artists. Admission for adults is $18, $10 for students, and $8 for children.
The 24th Annual All Souls Procession
When: November 2-3 (5:00 pm)
Where: Tucson, AZ
The inspirational organization behind the All Souls Procession this year is Many Mouths One Stomach, a non-profit arts collective based in Tucson, AZ. The organization serves as a way for working artists to collaborate, create, and inspire the public. Marching in the All Souls Procession this year along with many participants will be floats, moving installations, and bands. Those who wish to participate in the procession are encouraged to printout a piece of paper with the logo of the ASP, and write what they are grieving, celebrating, and remembering and place it in the urn. Musical guests will be there to greet you at the end of the procession! Click here for procession routes and parking.
NEVADA
Life in Death Festival: Day of the Dead
When: November 1-2 (5:00-9:00 pm)
Where: Winchester Cultural Center, 3130 S. McLeod Drive, Las Vegas
Clark County Parks and Recreation presents “Life in Death: Day of the Dead,” a two-day festival featuring displays, performances, an art exhibit, craft sales, and food vendors. Learn all about the cultural traditions of this Mexican holiday, like the history behind ofrendas, the altars built, decorated and dedicated to lost loved ones. Dozens of altars will be featured at the festival with a possibility for awards in three categories; most traditional, most creative and best theme. Satirical readings of calaveras, or skulls, are a fun twist on poems written to remember people who are still alive. Come join in the fun at this free event open to the public!
NEW MEXICO
21st Annual Dia de los Muertos Marigold Parade
When: November 3 (2:00-9:00 pm)
Where: Parade starts at Centro Familiar and Isleta, ends at the Westside Community Center, 1250 Isleta SW., Albuquerque
Drawing from José Guadalupe Posada’s love and depiction of skeletons, this year’s parade is inspired by the artist himself. The “Posada Calavera” is always portrayed to be laughing and up to some kind of mischief. Music, altars and traditional Mexican food vendors are on site as well. Dress up in your best calavera costume! This event is free.
Atresic Heritage Dia De Muertos
When: November 1 (5:00-7:00 pm)
Where: San Jose De Armijo Cemetery, 2957 A renal Road SW, Albuquerque
Presented by the Atrisco Heritage Foundation, guests can celebrate the Day of the Dead with lots of fun and games. Enjoy face painting, games, sugar skull painting, music, and refreshments. The Atrisco Heritage Foundation exists to promote and preserve the ancestral and cultural heritage of the general community of Albuquerque.
ILLINOIS
National Museum of Mexican Art
Where: 1852 W. 19th Street, Chicago
Come celebrate the 100 anniversary of the death of José Guadalupe Posada (1852-1913), the renowned Mexican popular artist, printmaker, illustrator, and caricaturist. Many of Posada’s works have come to be associated with the Day of the Dead, as they evoke images or notions of death. Guests are encouraged to pay homage to the artist by dressing up as his famous paintings such as “The Fancy Lady,” “The Dandy,” or any of Posada’s other famous characters. More than 60 Mexican artists have joined together in contributing altars, installations and works of arts, in dedication to this memorable artist. Entrance to the museum is always free, including this exhibit, which runs through December 15, 2013.
COLORADO
Longmont Museum & Cultural Center’s 13th Anniversary Dia de Los Muertos Celebration
When: October 5 – November 10
Where: Longmont Museum, 400 Quail Road, Longmont
The largest Day of the Dead celebration in Colorado, Longmont’s Dia de Los Muertos celebration attracts more than 6,000 visitors. Come and see the dozens of colorful altars on display, depicting love and remembering the life of loved ones, all while honoring ancestors and making new memories for keeping them alive in the future. Admission to the exhibition is $5 for adults and $3 for students and seniors.
FLORIDA
4th Annual Day of the Dead Celebration
When: November 2 (6:00 – 11:00 pm)
Where: 504 NW 1st Ave, Downtown Fort Lauderdale
“Memory for the Dead, Party for the Living” is the tagline for this year’s Dia de Los Muertos celebration. Drawing crowds of thousands of attendees, this spirited festival features painted skull artists, mariachi bands, street performers, and of course the best in Latin American food truck cuisine. As always, those who come dressed to impress in their best skeleton costume are eligible for the costume contest. New to the event this year is an exciting “Ring Luchadores,” featuring interactive wrestlers in true Mexican style and Frida Kahlo’s Mi Muertito, where performers gather to reenact paintings from the famous artist. Also new this year is the Dance Macabro, a gothic ball fundraiser to continue to raise money for the cause. Rest up; you’ll be quite busy at this fiesta!
NORTH CAROLINA
3rd Annual Day of the Dead 5K and Kid’s Fun Run
When: November 2 (9:00 am)
Where: 106 S. Wilmington Street, Raleigh
How about a little exercise this holiday? Race or walk to celebrate tradition in the Day of the Dead 5K Race. Families and children of all ages are welcome to participate. The event will benefit the Brentwood Boys and Girls Club of Raleigh and runners are encouraged to dress up as there will be prizes for the three best costumes as well as prizes for the top male and female runner. Refreshments, kids’ crafts, live music and face painting will be waiting for you at the finish line. Click here to register and sponsor a runner.
Tell us on Facebook and Twitter: how will you celebrate el Dia de los Muertos this year? Tell us!
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