Photo: AFP
Día De Los Muertos, or Day of the Dead is a holiday on November 1st and 2nd that celebrates and honors those who have passed on. In Los Angeles, the city's celebrations started almost 50 years ago. Here are all of free Día De Los Muertos going on around Los Angeles:
Noche de Ofrenda at Self Help Graphics
Wednesday, November 2
Self Help Graphics (Boyle Heights)
Self Help Graphics’ Noche de Ofrenda returns with a night of poetry and music honoring ancestors. Admire altars made by artists and SHG community partners—a special community altar will be open for guests to place their late loved ones’ photos. Seasonal festivities also include the Canciones De Ti exhibit on display until Wednesday, November 23 and the 49th annual Día de los Muertos Exhibition & Celebration on Friday, November 5 where guests can dress in their best Día de los Muertos fits and become part of a community procession led by Aztec dancers.
Cost: Free
Figat7th Día De Los Muertos Altar
On view through Wednesday, November 2
Figat7th (Downtown)
Last year FIGat7th invited the women-led, grassroots activist organization Mujeres de Maiz to create a Día De Los Muertos altar honoring life and death. This year they are featuring an altar from first-generation indigenous Central American and queer artist Dalila Paola Mendez on the lower level of the shopping hub. Along with paying tribute to the victims of the Uvalde, Texas school shooting and LA community members, Mendez’s altar brings awareness to water issues affecting the world.
Cost: Free
Grand Park Downtown Día de los Muertos
Ongoing through Wednesday, November 2
Grand Park (Downtown)
From October 22 through November 2, Downtown’s Grand Park is transformed with colorful and vibrant altars from community organizations and artists, dedicated to recently passed loved ones and ancestors. It’s the perfect way to add a little peace and contemplation to your Downtown adventures, offering a moment to appreciate your life and reflect on your own mortality. Anyone is invited to contribute to a community altar made in partnership with Self-Help Graphics.
Cost: Free
La Catrina Sculpture and Día De Los Muertos Displays
On view through Wednesday, November 2
Third Street Promenade (Santa Monica)
On the Westside, Downtown Santa Monica is paying tribute to the late satire cartoonist José Guadalupe Posada’s Catrina, the iconic Mexican skeletal figure donning an elegant hat with flowers and ostrich feathers that the artist created in 1910 to poke fun at women who denied their indigenous roots and claimed to be European. You’ll find the colorful, up-to-14-feet-tall sculptures by LA-based artist Ricardo Soltero on display throughout three blocks of the Third Street Promenade from 10 am to 8 pm until Wednesday, November 2. Visit the 1300 block of the Promenade on Saturday, October 30 at 6 pm for a performance from the Santa Monica Ballet Folklorico.
Cost: Free
Día De Los Muertos Dinner
Wednesday, November 2
Ka’TEEN (Hollywood)
Chef Wes Avila’s Día De Los Muertos celebration will pay homage through food at his tropical and spacious Hollywood restaurant that’s inspired by Yucatanean cuisine. On November 1 and 2, Ka’TEEN will feature specialty dishes, tequila and mezcal cocktails, as well as music from DJ Eda and fire dancers.
Cost: Varies
Olvera Street Día De Los Muertos Festival
Ongoing through Wednesday, November 2
Olvera Street (Downtown LA)
LA’s historic district continues its traditional Día De Los Muertos celebrations for the 35th year, with events and activities that incorporate pre-columbian, indigenous, and Catholic customs, including the traditional Mayan Blessing and soul cleansing that takes place before and after the Novenario procession led by indigenous Aztec dancers, with participants dressed up as skeletons and free sweet bread and beverages given to all in attendance. The procession occurs nightly at 7 pm through Wednesday, November 2.
If you’re looking to learn the history of Día De Los Muertos, leave it to Teatro Del Barrio, whose theatrical performances will tell the story behind the holiday’s indigenous roots and how it’s transformed into the holiday we know today, with performances every night at 6 pm through Wednesday, November 2. Altars will be on display from Saturday, October 29-November 2. The annual Los Muertos 5k race will take place on the morning of Saturday, October 29.
Photo Credit: Getty Images