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Día de Los Muertos: A Community Celebration
Community Celebration
Saturday, November 1 - 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. | Sunday, November 2nd - 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Celebrate Día de Los Muertos at Old Town San Diego State Historic Park Saturday and Sunday, November 1-2, 2025. Throughout the weekend, visitors can explore the museums to see altares de muertos (altars of the dead) celebrating influential Old Town citizens, participate in hands-on art activities, and sign-up for a sugar skull painting workshop (additional material fee). Visitors are encouraged to honor lost loved one's by contributing their name to the hanging wooden butterfly feature next to the Community Altar located in the Plaza de Armas in Old Town San Diego State Historic Park.
Event Highlights
Movie in the Park | Saturday, November 1st at 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Bring a chair and enjoy the animated Disney film Coco in the Plaza de Armas. Enjoy hands-on art stations, visit historic altars, or create your own sugar skull before the movie begins at 6 p.m.
Candlelit Procession | Sunday, November 2nd at 5 p.m.
Sunday, November 2nd starting at 5:00 p.m., the Old Town Chamber of Commerce's annual procession from Twiggs Street to El Campos Santos Cemetery will begin. This years procession will include Aztec dancers, park staff in 1800s period attire, Catrina contest winners, and more! Park operations will conclude at 4:00 p.m, which will give you enough time to find the perfect spot along San Diego Avenue.
Activities
San Diego Unified School District Art Show | Captain Fitch & Tin Smith Shop
Guided by the theme of Remembrance and Resilience, San Diego Unified School District students present a variety of artworks celebrating the imagery of Día de los Muertos. In the Captain Fitch Store, students' work honors memory, identity, and tradition. While in the U.S. House, Crawford High School, Logan Memorial, Zamorano Elementary, and Lincoln High School partner with Sew Loka on a display regarding wearable art. Students transform reclaimed fabrics into works that tell stories of remembrance and resilience through cultural expression and design.
Community Altar | Plaza de Armas
In the spirit of Dia de Los Muetors, we invite the comunity to come together and honor loved ones who have passed on at our community altar. This traditional seven-tiered altar will be open from 10 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Saturday, Nov 1, and from 10 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, November 2. Please feel free to bring a picture of a loved one to saftey pin to the altar. Please note that any pictures or tokens placed on the comunity altar will not be returned.
Wooden butterflies will be provided for visitors to decorate and write the name of a lost loved as part of the comunity experience. Visitors can honor their loved ones as a community by contributing to the hanging butterfly art instillation feature next to the community altar. This activity will be open from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov 1 , and from 10 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, Nov 2. Suggested donation of $5.00.
Historic Altars | La Casa de Estudillo, La Casa de Machado y Stewart, & Seeley Stable
Visit our historic museums to see the ofrendas, or altars dedicated to the individuals who lived within these historic structures. See Día de Los Muertos Historic Altar Tours, to learn about tours through the month of October.
Entertainment | Plaza de Armas
Join the Old Town Chamber of Commerce as they present music, dancing, and the 3nd Annual Catrina Contest. This year's contest will be held on both days and be split between children and adults. On Saturday, Novemebr 1st at 3 p.m., all children are welcome to participate in the children's Catrina contest. The adult's Catrina contest will take place on November 2nd at 3 p.m. Dress to impress, and pull together your best Carina costume for a chance to win prizes!
Bilingual Story Time | Mason St. Schoolhouse
Join the San Diego Public Library for a bilingual story hour at the Mason Street Schoolhouse on Saturday November 1st.
19th Century Magic Lantern Shows | Seeley Stable Theatre
Travel back in time with Matt Schnittker for a fantastical Halloween 19th century magic lantern show. Shows are 15-20 minutes and will take place on the half of every hour, starting at 10:30 a.m.
Hands-On Art | Plaza de Armas
Altares de muertos (altars of the dead) are works of art that incorporate statuary, flowers, sugar skulls, hand-cut papel picado, and more. Learn from California State Park Interpreters how to create traditional hands-on art like paper flowers found on altares de muertos and cut your own brightly colored papel picado to hang at your altare at home. Hands on Art is free to the public from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. All donations to the Boosters of Old Town, directly support interpretation and special events in Old Town San Diego State Historic Park.
Sugar Skull Workshops with Sugar Skull Artist Carolina Celaya | Plaza de Armas
Making sugar skulls is an indigenous Día de Los Muertos tradition of Mexico. Decorate a hand-made sugar skull in honor of a loved one who has passed. This workshop is appropriate for all ages. Skulls are for decoration purposes and not for consumption. This workshop is a $10 material fee.
Parking
Parking is free in all Old Town San Diego State Historic Park parking Lots.
Please note that Lot "F" will be closed.
Overflow parking is available at the CalTrans Parking Lot located at:
4300 Taylor Street
San Diego, CA 92110
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