Downtown is offering some splendid opportunities to celebrate this vibrant holiday, widely observed in Mexico, that welcomes the spirit and memory of departed family members and friends. DLBA invites you to visit Downtown, enjoy these events, and partake in Dia de los Muertos traditions.
DIA DE LOS MUERTOS GRAND PARADE AND ARTE Y OFRENDAS FESTIVAL
Saturday, November 4 is your chance to immerse yourself in the richness of Dia de los Muertos in Downtown, starting with a Grand Parade on Pine Avenue and continuing with the Arte y Ofrendas Festival at Rainbow Lagoon Park.
The parade, which begins at 11 AM at 3rd and Pine Ave, will dazzle you with traditional dancing, music, and costumery. You’ll see autos and floats decorated with maravilla (marigold) flowers, which, with their bright colors and strong scent, are said to guide souls to the altares set up in their honor.
The parade route is just over a mile long and ends at Shoreline Park, just across the way from Rainbow Lagoon Park and the Arte y Ofrendas Festival. There you will find many beautiful altares, festooned with marigolds, photos, and memorabilia of beloved people.
Get into the spirit of the event by having your face painted as a calavera (skull). Take in the art exhibits, let your kids play in the Children’s Plaza, and go shopping in the Artisan Mercado. You’ll be entertained by Aztec and Folklorico dancers throughout the day, and an array of food vendors will be there for your enjoyment as well.
For detailed information, tickets, and parade applications, click here.
DIA DE LOS MUERTOS AT MOLAA
The Museum of Latin American Art (MOLAA) will be hosting its annual Dia de los Muertos Festival on Sunday, October 29 from 11 AM to 5 PM. This FREE event promises a great time for folks of all ages! Nine food stations, beer and wine, and lots of dulces (sweets) will be available for you to enjoy in MOLAA’s beautiful sculpture garden. Aztec and Folklorico dancers will be performing, and DJ Caveman will keep the good music happening throughout the day.
Nearly 40 merchants will be offering all kinds of shoppables and giftables. There will also be a face-painting station, a children’s sugar skull workshop, and a printmaking station (Fun! We made a print last year).
Come dressed in your Dia de Los Muertos regalia, enter the costume contest, and win up to $500! Judging begins at 2 PM.
NOTE: Parking at MOLAA will be $15 per car on the 29th. For detailed Festival info, click here.
“MAYA MASH” DIA DE LOS MUERTOS AND HALLOWEEN CELEBRATIONS AT HOTEL MAYA
With Hotel Maya’s magnificent views and open-space feeling, you’ll be celebrating Dia de los Muertos AND Halloween in a power spot! Fuego, the hotel’s indoor-outdoor restaurant and lounge, is currently offering holiday food and drink specials, Mariachi music, and more festivities from now through Nov. 2.
Dia de los Muertos is actually celebrated on two days; Nov. 1, when children are honored, and Nov. 2, when adults are remembered. On the 1st, Fuego will feature a live Mariachi performance from 5:30 to 8:30 PM. On both nights, guests can add memorabilia to Hotel Maya’s altar.
Guests for all festivities (including the “Creepy Cabana,” thoroughly decorated in an eerie Halloween vibe, which you can reserve for you and up to 11 of your friends) are encouraged to arrive with sugar skull-painted faces and have a chance to win prizes each night!
To learn more about Fuego and to make reservations, click here.