Altar at Self Help Graphic's 2023 Día de Muertos celebration. Photo by Thomas Rodas.

Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a time to honor the memory of loved ones who have died. The holiday’s most beloved traditions involve building ofrendas at home or visiting cemeteries and decorating the graves of those who have passed. 

The celebration, largely observed in Mexico and other Latin American countries, also brings colorful and vibrant events across several cities in the U.S. On or before Nov. 1 and 2, cempasúchil-covered altars, intricately designed sugar calaveras and pan de muerto will spring up around Los Angeles. 

We’ve rounded up a list of free events on the Eastside and downtown to celebrate the cherished cultural holiday. From listening to youth mariachis at Plaza de la Raza to joining a procession on the Metro with Self-Graphics and Art, there’s a wide range of events for the whole family to enjoy this Día de los Muertos.

1st Street Business Association and CaminArte Día de Muertos Community Block Party, 11/1

2023 Día De Muertos Community Block Party on 1st Street, hosted by Caminarte. Photo by Frank Rodriguez @adaptable_designs.

This community block party returns to 1st Street and Mariachi Plaza to celebrate Día de los Muertos. The event will feature family activities including a pumpkin patch, free face painting and a kids art exhibition. Attendees can walk down 1st Street through booths of local community resources, admire the community altar, or gather to listen to live music from DJ Sonido Algo Leve. There will also be a special dance performance from the Mexican folk dance company Folklorico Revolución. In partnership with CaminArte, the celebration will feature live painting sessions with artists including the author of “The Death of My Father the Pope” Obed Silva and muralist Robert Vargas. 

Picaresca’s Día de Muertos Noche de Poemas, 11/1

Noche de Poemas event on Aug. 23. Photo courtesy of Picaresca.

At Picaresca Barra de Cafe coffee customers can stay after hours for a spoken word event called Noche De Poemas. Whether you go to share your poetry, listen to some spoken word, or sign up for some last-minute mic time, the night will look to honor lost loved ones. There will also be food for sale from Burger Mafia. The poetry night will feature special guest performances including  “Mayans M.C.” actor, podcast host, and East L.A. native Richard Cabral, as well as a musical performance by Los Carmelos. The Picaresca team encourages poems to follow the Day of the Dead theme, but it is not a requirement. 

ÜLËW Coffee and Juice Día de Muertos: Ancestors to Remember, 11/1

Ülëw Coffee and Juice is hosting the grand opening of an art gallery in its newly extended cafe. Join the opening reception of “Día de los Muertos: Ancestors to Remember,” curated by Kissbell Preza featuring local artists including Manuel Bracamonte and Drea Galvez. The special exhibit will remain on display through November.

Día de los Muertos at Olvera Street, 10/25-11/2

Flyer courtesy of Olvera Street Events.

Los Angeles’ iconic Placita Olvera launched its Día de los Muertos holiday with a novenario, a nine-day prayer period for loved ones who have passed away.

The nightly procession will also include an indigenous blessing ceremony. Guests can walk through beautifully decorated altars, art exhibits and various live performances.

Community altars will be on display for the public beginning Oct. 28 and will remain until Nov. 2.

Eastside Cafe’s Día de Muertos: Remembering Our Ancestors and Martyrs, 11/1

To celebrate Día de los Muertos, Eastside Cafe has been hosting art workshops every weekend in  October. This weekend, the center is inviting community members to join them in “remembering and honoring our ancestors and martyrs” with an event full of art, food and music. The event welcomes attendees to join in the celebration and will close with a community procession. The event will close with a community procession.

The Wellness Center‘s Fall Fiesta Movie Night, 11/1

The Wellness Center is hosting a free family-friendly movie night which begins with a health and resource fair for community members. Enjoy activities for the whole family including crafts, a petting zoo and a screening of Disney Pixar’s “Coco” showing at 6 p.m. There will also be food distribution during the event. To register for the event, call the Wellness Center at (213) 784-9191.

Self Help Graphics & Art‘s 51st Annual Día de los Muertos Celebration, 11/2

Dancers perform at Mariachi Plaza for Self Help Graphic’s 2023 Dia De Los Muertos celebration. Photo by Thomas Rodas.

Self Help Graphics & Art has hosted free community art workshops honoring Día de los Muertos all October long. This Saturday is the culmination of events with the 51st Annual Día de los Muertos celebration in partnership with L.A. County Supervisor Hilda. L. Solis. The celebration will kick off with a procession aboard the Metro L Line that begins at Mariachi Plaza and makes its way to the East L.A. Civic Center for a festival. The day will feature live entertainment, face painting, art activities and a live danza blessing to honor ancestors. There will also be a resource fair, art vendors, and local food for sale. Self-Help Graphics encourages guests to display their creative expression and show up in Día de los Muertos fashion or inspired clothing, not Halloween costumes.

  • Date: 3 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 2 (procession begins @ 2 p.m. from the Metro L Line at Mariachi Plaza to Civic Center station)
  • Location: LA County Civic Center Park.
  • 4801 E 3rd St, Los Angeles, CA 90022.
  • Find more information here. 

Odd Fellows Cemetery Day of the Dead Fest, 11/2  

Youth folklórico and mariachi performers at 2023 Odd Fellows Día de Muertos celebration. Photo courtesy of Odd Fellows Cemetery.

Odd Fellows Cemetery will feature festivities all day Saturday for this year’s Día de los Muertos celebration. Festivities begin early morning with various food vendors, followed by an afternoon mass. Guests can also enjoy free face painting and live performances featuring ballet folklórico dancers. One of their most exciting decorations features a twelve-foot-tall skeleton dressed as a catrina. Cash prizes will be awarded to the best altar, best catrin and catrina contest winners. 

Plaza de la Raza’s Día de los Muertos Celebration, 11/1

Flyer courtesy of Plaza de la Raza.

Enjoy a family friendly celebration with art workshops and live performances by the Plaza de la Raza youth mariachi and youth folklórico ensemble. Plaza de la Raza’s Boathouse Gallery will also be open and feature its newest exhibit, “El Velorio Día de Los Muertos.” The Margot Albert Theatre Gallery will display a new exhibit, “Recuerdos de Alma,” with 29 emerging artists, including college students. Attendees are also welcome to add photos and items to the collective community altar at the celebration as well as to a separate ofrenda for beloved pets. 

Gloria Molina Grand Park’s Día de los Muertos, 10/19-11/2

Flyer courtesy of event organizers.

This two-week exhibition, launched earlier this month, includes 19 unique altars representing the theme “Finding Peace Through Memories and Hope for the Future.” Altars were curated by East L.A.’s renowned Consuelo G. Flores, an altarista who’s been contributing to the celebration since 2012.  Attendees can contribute to the community altar by leaving photos or beloved items of their loved ones. The closing celebration on Nov. 2 will feature an outdoor film screening in collaboration with the Guadalajara Film Festival (GLAFF). 

Carol Martinez is a 2019 Roosevelt High School graduate and alumnus of the Boyle Heights Beat youth program and a recent graduate of UCLA. She received her B.A. in English and continued reporting for the...

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