Sarah Mahmoodi
Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is an ancient cultural celebration rooted in the indigenous Mesoamerican tradition of honoring ancestors and the recently deceased. The holiday brings families together as they create ofrendas — altars adorned with photographs, candles, and flowers to honor the memory of their departed loved ones. With a heritage shaped by generations of Latino communities, Día de los Muertos in Los Angeles is in full swing citywide. We spoke with several event curators who shared what celebrating Día de los Muertos means to them.
Gloria Molina Grand Park’s Downtown Día de los Muertos
Gloria Molina Grand Park’s Downtown Dia de los Muertos (Photo: by Asha Moné)
Roberto Gonzalez, director of Gloria Molina Grand Park, reflected on the celebration and its significance.
LA Weekly: Tell us about your organization’s Día De Los Muertos event.
Robert Gonzalez: For our event, we incorporate the traditions of our Mexican community to host meaningful cultural celebrations and present them widely to all of Los Angeles. Traditionally, Día de Los Muertos is celebrated on November 1st and 2nd, but we host our event for ten days. Starting Oct 24th and ending November 2nd, this extension allows for more time to enjoy the celebration and also encourages people to come back. Our ofrendas and art displays will be open to the public for all ten days to encourage the community, who may not know about the holiday and are just walking by, to explore and discover the tradition of Día de Los Muertos.
How do you involve the community in these celebrations?
With the park and the way we program it, it’s always been community-focused. We try to incorporate this into our programming by partnering with the community, artists, organizations, and individuals who represent all of Los Angeles County. This year, our altar curator Consuelo Flores has identified local organizations and individual artists to create 16 ofrendas for our event. In addition, we also have our community altar where we encourage the public to either add a picture or memento of a loved one to be incorporated into the celebration.
We also want to encourage our younger artists to take part, so this year, we have partnered eight of our artists with a mentee to pass down the tradition of creating ofrendas. Studying under our artisans, they will learn how to create their own miniature altar, or a “shoebox altar,” giving them the opportunity to learn from community elders and pass on traditions. We also have artisan classes where people can make their own sugar skulls and calavera face painting for children.
What makes this event different from the other events in town?
Well, first off, it’s free! Anything we present at the park that’s produced by The Music Center and the Gloria Molina Grand Park team is free and family-friendly. We also put a lot of intentionality into what we present, especially with things that are very culturally sensitive. We want to be very mindful of how we represent the different cultures that make up Los Angeles, and we’re very intentional and careful with how we do it.
Why do you think it’s important to continue to celebrate Día de los Muertos?
I’m a little biased because I grew up celebrating these traditions. I’m of Mexican descent; I grew up celebrating Día De Los Muertos with my family. To me, this is a way to keep our loved ones’ memories alive. To keep them close to us at all times, not just on holidays. We hope people will be encouraged to take the inspiration that we’re presenting through Día de Los Muertos and build their own traditions. To always keep their loved ones close to them regardless of whether they’re here or not. These traditions are not meant to mourn, but to celebrate life. Even though we don’t have our loved ones with us anymore, we can still celebrate them every day.
The daytime opening ceremony of Gloria Molina’s Grand Park Downtown Día de los Muertos will be held on Oct. 24, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The celebration features 16 ofrendas curated by Consuelo Flores, live music, an Indigenous sacred procession and blessings, and family-friendly activities like face painting and sugar skull workshops. Visitors can also participate in wellness offerings and contribute photos or mementos to a community altar.
The festivities conclude Nov. 1 at a closing event from 3 to 7 p.m. with DJs, live music, traditional masked performers, and additional cultural activities. All ofrendas will be displayed and open to the public from Oct. 24 to Nov. 2, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
For more information, visit grandparkla.org/diadelosmuertos.
Hollywood Forever Cemetery’s 27th annual All Under One Sky
Hollywood Forever Cemetery (Photo: Mauricio Hoyos @mauriciohoyosphotography)
One of the most widely recognized Día de los Muertos celebrations takes place at Hollywood Forever Cemetery, which will host its 27th annual event, All Under One Sky, on Saturday, Oct. 24. It’s the largest Día de los Muertos festival in the country with hundreds of ofrendas, vendors, live performances by popular artists, traditional dancers, and Catrinas roaming through the picturesque cemetery.
“For more than two decades, this event has created a space where Día de los Muertos is celebrated not simply as a festival, but as a living cultural tradition rooted in remembrance, family, art, music, history, and community,” said Hollywood Forever’s director and curator of Altar Programs Angie M. Jiménez. “Día de los Muertos gives us permission to say the names of those we have lost, tell their stories, laugh about the things we remember, cry because we still miss them, and welcome them home through our ofrendas even if only for a day.
“Our celebration is deeply rooted in the Mexican and Mexican American communities of Los Angeles, while welcoming people from across the incredibly diverse communities that make up our city. Over the years, we have watched people who may have initially come because of the music, art, food, or spectacle leave with a much deeper understanding of the tradition and its meaning.”
Hollywood Forever will host its celebration on Saturday, Oct. 24, from noon to midnight. The ticketed festival features more than 70 community-created altars and ofrendas, nearly 300 folklórico and Aztec dancers, a ceremonial procession, and a contemporary art exhibition inside the historic Cathedral Mausoleum, curated by Nery Gabriel Lemus.
Additional programming includes bilingual theater, puppetry, Mexican film screenings, family activities, altar and costume competitions, artisan vendors, and live music by DannyLux, Trish Toledo, Tropa Mágica, Los Shadows, and DJs.
General admission tickets range from $30 to $50 before fees, depending on the entry time, while children’s tickets for ages 5–12 cost $22 before fees for noon to 4 p.m. admission. VIP admission costs $250 before fees and includes access to the VIP Oasis.
For more information, visit ladayofthedead.com.
Mid City Mercado’s West Adams Día de los Muertos Block Party Festival
Mid City Mercado Founder Jasmine Maldonado (Photo: @Abe_Films)
Local nonprofit Mid City Mercado will also celebrate the holiday with their popular block party, the 4th Annual West Adams Día de los Muertos Block Party Festival.
Partnering with Los Angeles City Council District 10, Mid City Mercado will host its fourth annual West Adams Día de los Muertos Block Party Festival on Sunday, November 1. This free, community-run celebration will feature the festival’s largest community altar, designed by floral artist El Creativo, an art walk and memorial presented by CHIRLA, live music and traditional dancers, a parade, cultural workshops, free carnival rides, and over 100 diverse vendors and food trucks. Attendees are invited to bring photographs of departed loved ones to contribute to the community altar, honoring ancestors through remembrance. The festival will also include live mural painting, family-friendly activities, and special activations from partners CHIRLA, Nike and Red Bull.
The all-ages event takes place Saturday, Nov. 1, from noon to 8 p.m. at 5640 W. Adams Blvd. in Los Angeles.
For more information, visit midcitymercado.com/pages/dia-de-los-muertos-festival-2026
And even more celebrations throughout LA
Self Help Graphics & Art will host its 53rd Annual Día de los Muertos Celebration block party on Saturday, Nov. 7, in Boyle Heights. The event begins with a procession at Mariachi Plaza from 1:45 to 3 p.m., followed by an outdoor celebration on Anderson Street, outside its building at 1300 E. 1st St., from 3 to 10 p.m., as the organization prepares to return to its Boyle Heights home. Free tickets to the all-ages event can be found on their website.
For more information, visit selfhelpgraphics.com/diadelosmuertos
Plaza de la Raza marks the occasion with its own Día de los Muertos celebration. The free all-ages event will take place Sunday, Nov. 1, from 5 to 9:30 p.m. at 3540 N. Mission Road, in Lincoln Heights. The community festival features live music and dance performances, a curated marketplace, face painting, hands-on art workshops, and artwork and altar installations. Attendees can also visit the El Velorio exhibit, showcasing original works by more than 200 local artists, on view through Nov. 7 at the Boathouse Gallery. Free parking is available in the DMV lot.
For more information, visit plazadelaraza.org/news/2026/10/12/dia-de-los-muertos-2026
Additional festivities will also take place at: Olvera Street, LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes, the Santa Monica Pier, the LA Zoo, the LA Public Library, and Rainbow Lagoon in Long Beach.
For those who observe Día de los Muertos, the holiday can be a form of medicine, a way to confront loss, honor the dead, and find comfort in the presence of our ancestors. The beauty of the tradition lies in its ability to transform grief into something communal, even joyful. Whether observed at home with an altar or among thousands at a festival, Día de los Muertos offers Angelenos an opportunity to remember, reconnect, and celebrate together.