The Best Day of the Dead Celebrations in the US, City by City

If you search for Day of the Dead near you, the answer depends on the week. In the United States the events do not share one weekend. The dated 2026 events below run from Oct. 23 to Nov. 8. That means a traveler can catch more than one.

Public festivals offer different ways to remember: community-built altars in Oakland, an illuminated ofrenda in Chicago and decorated river barges in San Antonio. Families will also find art activities at Chicago's museum celebration and Old Town San Diego.

Late October: San Antonio, Los Angeles and Chicago

San Antonio's River Walk hosts an evening parade. The Day of the Dead River Parade is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 23, 2026, along the downtown River Walk. It starts at 7 p.m. near Lexington Avenue, and each decorated barge represents a different figure or tradition of the holiday. Reserved chairs require tickets, while a free standing area extends from East Commerce Street to the route's end. Float arrival times differ by viewing section.

Muertos Fest brings art, music and remembrance to Hemisfair over three days. Its organizers provide sensory-friendly periods with quieter sound and fewer people. The park welcomes well-behaved dogs, though owners are asked to consider the noise and crowds. Blankets are allowed, and the grounds accommodate visitors of different ages and abilities.

For the River Parade, arrival planning depends on the location printed on your ticket. Reserved seating stretches for approximately 2.5 miles, so choose parking or a drop-off near your assigned entrance. Accessible sections are available near entrances with ramps or elevators.

In Los Angeles, Hollywood Forever's Día de los Muertos is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026, at the cemetery on Santa Monica Boulevard. It is a ticketed event: guests ages 5 and up need a ticket, there are no refunds or exchanges, and it goes ahead rain or shine. The organizers describe a joyful cultural day of ofrendas, music, dance, art and food. Participation in the altar program is free for registered participants.

Chicago's Día de los Muertos Xicágo, at the National Museum of Mexican Art, is also scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026. It is free and open to the public, and it runs rain or shine. The museum will fill its grounds with community ofrendas, music and art activities. The illuminated ofrenda's photo display is scheduled to begin at about 6 p.m. on the museum's exterior. Stage acts begin at 3:15 p.m. with Ballet Folklórico Back of the Yards.

Inside, the museum's 40th annual Día de Muertos exhibition, Where Memory Lives, traces changes in the holiday and the museum through its permanent collection. On festival day, visitors must be inside the galleries by 4 p.m.; joining the line at that time does not guarantee admission.

"The All Souls Procession is pure, public ceremony for everyone."

Late October to Nov. 2: Olvera Street and Old Town San Diego

Olvera Street, in Los Angeles, is the one to know if you want an event that repeats every night. Its merchants describe a nine-day festival. Each evening's procession leads to a Kiosko ceremony honoring the deceased loved ones of a chosen merchant family or community member. Community altars are also displayed. The merchants say they have held the celebration for nearly 40 years. Check with the merchants for dates and nightly start times before planning a visit.

Old Town San Diego State Historic Park runs its community celebration from Saturday, Oct. 31, through Monday, Nov. 2, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. The park's museums show altares de muertos honoring early residents of Old Town. Visitors can pin a loved one's photograph to the seven-tiered Community Altar in the Plaza de Armas. Beside it, a wooden-butterfly activity invites names and decorations, with a suggested $5 donation. Photographs and other items left on the altar will not be returned. Hands-on art is free on Saturday and Sunday, and sugar skull workshops carry a materials fee.

On the evening of Monday, Nov. 2, the Old Town Chamber of Commerce will host its annual procession, walking from Twiggs Street to the old cemetery of El Campo Santo at 6 p.m. Visitors can watch on the main stage screen or stand along San Diego Avenue.

The park sits beside the Old Town San Diego Transit Center. State Parks urges visitors to use it because of heavy traffic, and a parking fee applies in all its lots during the event.

Nov. 1 and 2: Oakland and San Francisco

Oakland's Fruitvale Día de los Muertos Festival is free. In 2026, its 31st year, it runs on Sunday, Nov. 1, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Fruitvale Village. The Unity Council, the organizer, advertises a 34-foot Monumental Catrina made by artisans in Mexico City. The theme is La Lucha Continúa, and the day centers on live music, artisans and altars made by community members.

In San Francisco, the Mission District procession is scheduled for Monday, Nov. 2, 2026, starting at 7 p.m.

Albuquerque: the South Valley celebration

Muertos y Marigolds, the organizing group, runs the South Valley celebration and its Marigold Parade. The group says its approach draws on José Guadalupe Posada's early 1900s skeleton portraits of people from every walk of life. Its guidance for visitors asks for respect toward the holiday's cultural and spiritual meaning, for guests to pick up their own waste, and to keep children and belongings close.

After Nov. 2: Tucson's All Souls Procession

Tucson's All Souls Procession is a related remembrance tradition with its own public ceremony. Its organizers describe it as a public ceremony of grief and honor for everyone. The 37th annual procession is set for Sunday, Nov. 8, 2026, on the city's Westside. Participants assemble on Grande Avenue at 4 p.m., and the procession is scheduled to depart at 6 p.m. It ends in the Mercado District with the Restoration of Care ceremony and the burning of the urn.

The route runs south on Grande Avenue to Congress Street, then left to the Mercado District. The organizers call it a funeral, not a political event.

For getting there, the organizers point to the free Sunlink streetcar, which runs all day Sunday, and to rideshare pick-up stations at Grande and Congress and at Cushing and Grande. They also suggest parking downtown and walking to the route.

Before you go

Hollywood Forever requires tickets for guests ages 5 and older and offers neither refunds nor exchanges. Its organizers also recommend cash because some vendors may not take cards.

For San Antonio's River Parade, leave strollers, carriers and ice chests behind; they are prohibited during the event. Reserved-seat guests should reach their assigned entrance at least an hour before floats are expected in their section. Keep business entrances and sidewalks open.

In Tucson, leave driveways and the finale entrance clear, avoid neighbors' gardens and take your litter away.