Los Angeles Has a Variety of Ways to Explore Latino Culture and Honor Ancestors
Starting just after Halloween, Dia de los Muertos is a holiday that celebrates our connections with our departed family members, ancestors, and friends. The Latino tradition has become more and more popular with its colorful and ornate ofrendas or offerings to our loved ones and as a memorial of the passage of time.
You can explore or celebrate this beautiful holiday this weekend at several events. Whether you have honored the spirits before or have never experienced Dia de los Muertos, you have many opportunities to become part of the holiday’s magic.
The Santa Monica History Museum will open a special pop-up exhibit on November 1, honoring Día de los Muertos with displays created by public high school students from across Los Angeles. The exhibit invites the community to experience a rich celebration of culture and memory as students present intricately designed ofrendas, or altars, paying tribute to the tradition of honoring ancestors.
Students from Santa Monica High School, Venice High School, University High School, and Fairfax High School have crafted the altars, which honor the memories of ancestors, family members, and friends. Accompanying the ofrendas will be live performances, including student mariachi music and traditional dances, which aim to bring the spirit of the celebration to life.
Visitors to the exhibit are encouraged to participate by adding photos of their own loved ones to the ofrendas, creating a shared space for remembrance and celebration. “Through this exhibition, we’re inviting the community to join in a moment where culture, history, art, and reflection meet,” said Rob Schwenker, Executive Director of the Santa Monica History Museum.
The exhibit will open to the public at 11 a.m., with special evening programming on November 1 and 2 beginning at 5 p.m. The event is open to all, offering an evening of music, dance, and shared memories as the community comes together to honor life and legacy.
The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County (NHM) will honor Día de los Muertos on Sunday, Nov. 3, with a special celebration that highlights the customs and heritage of this tradition, widely observed throughout Latin America and Los Angeles. The event, held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., invites the community to join in commemorating departed loved ones through music, art, and cultural displays.
The day’s events will include a performance by Mariachi Las Catrinas, an all-women mariachi group, and hands-on art activities led by Lil’ Libros. The organization will also distribute free copies of their popular book Alebrijes to visitors, available on a first-come, first-served basis. Local vendors, including Latinx with Plants, will set up displays in the museum’s Grand Foyer, where they will help create a vibrant, interactive marigold (cempasúchil) floral display.
A large, traditional ofrenda (altar) will be set up at NHM, with interpretive objects and spaces for visitors to commemorate their own loved ones. Museum anthropologists will showcase select items from the museum’s collection that highlight Latin American cultural artifacts in honor of Día de los Muertos. Other family-friendly activities will include face painting, do-it-yourself Calavera (skull) masks, and opportunities for reflection.
The Día de los Muertos Welcome Day is free for museum members, with tickets required for the general public. NHM is located at 900 Exposition Boulevard in Los Angeles.
In celebration of Día de los Muertos, SOCALO and Border Grill are offering special menu items inspired by the Mexican holiday honoring departed loved ones. Executive Chef Raul Plascencia’s Día de los Muertos dinner specials will be available from Oct. 30 to Nov. 2, featuring traditional flavors with a unique twist.
The special menu includes a festive cocktail, Vida y Muerte, crafted with Altos Plata, blood orange, warm spices, fresh citrus, black lava salt, and garnished with dehydrated lime and marigold.
The dinner menu offers creative dishes inspired by the season, including:
- Tepache Honey Glazed Korean Short Rib served with tortilla ash tamal, hoja santa, Mexican cheeses, and mole negro.
- Confit Duck Leg with mole rojo pipián, kabocha squash, and serrano orange marmalade.
- Braised Sweet Potato drizzled with piloncillo cinnamon syrup, orange whipped cream, and candied pepitas.
- Pan Dulce de Muerto accompanied by chocolate champurrado.
Reservations are encouraged.
Midcity Mercado and Los Angeles City Council District 10 are bringing back the West Adams Día de los Muertos Block Party Festival on Nov. 2, 2024, offering a lively day of music, art, and cultural celebration. Now in its second year, the festival will fill West Adams Boulevard with live performances, food trucks, art displays, and community-centered activities.
The celebration will include a community altar where attendees are invited to place photos of loved ones in remembrance. Other attractions include a Ferris wheel, live mural painting, free carnival games, and interactive workshops, creating a family-friendly environment for all ages.
The event will take place on Saturday, Nov. 2, from 12:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on West Adams Blvd, Los Angeles, between Spaulding Ave and Hauser Ave. This annual Día de los Muertos festival celebrates the rich heritage of the West Adams community while providing a space for collective healing and honoring ancestors.
The Santa Monica Pier will host its 4th Annual Día de los Muertos celebration on Nov. 1-2, 2024, inviting the community to honor this rich tradition with two days of art, live performances, and interactive activities. This free event, which is family-friendly and open to the public, will transform the historic Merry Go-Round Building with marigold decorations, papel picado, and public altars (ofrendas) for communal tribute.
Supported by the Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture, the Mexican Consulate, Northgate Market, Cirque du Soleil KOOZA, and Maria Sol, the celebration will feature traditional music, dance, and workshops that connect visitors to the meaning of Día de los Muertos.
Friday, Nov. 1, 2024 | 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Friday’s celebration begins with a Pan de Muerto decorating class hosted by Northgate Market, hands-on crafts, and face painting for children. Ballet Folklorico performances will bring traditional dance to life, while altars created by artists Sylvia Sanchez and Yolanda Medina offer a place for guests to share photos and memories of departed loved ones. The evening focuses on Día de los Angelitos, honoring children who have passed.
Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024 | 5:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
On Saturday, the event opens with a ceremonial blessing at the West End of the Pier, followed by an Aztec-led procession to the Merry-Go-Round building. Mariachi Santa Monica and The Brotherhood Band will provide live music, complemented by additional Ballet Folklorico performances, an artisan market, a car show, and traditional food. Kids can participate in craft activities, and guests are encouraged to join the procession in traditional Día de los Muertos attire.
This year’s event also features the “Letters of Life” art installation, where attendees can contribute photos, Pier memories, and stories of lost loved ones, displayed digitally around the 100-year-old Carousel.
The Consul General of Mexico in Los Angeles, Carlos Gonzalez Gutierrez, noted the importance of sharing Día de los Muertos with the diverse Los Angeles community, saying, “This celebration on the Santa Monica Pier is an opportunity to bridge our cultures and highlight the importance of remembering our loved ones while enriching the multicultural fabric of the United States.”
Artist Sylvia Sanchez, known for her altars at Hollywood Forever Cemetery, will bring her creative touch to the Pier, emphasizing that Día de los Muertos is about “remembrance, honor, respect, joy, and beauty.” Fellow artist Yolanda Medina, along with Renay Regalado Garcia and Christine Lopez, will also contribute heartfelt altar creations that invite the community to celebrate life and memory together.
This Día de los Muertos event offers an inclusive, spirited space for honoring tradition, culture, and loved ones in the heart of Santa Monica.
For the fourth consecutive year, the Los Angeles Zoo, in partnership with the Plaza de la Raza Cultural Center for the Arts & Education, is welcoming guests to its ‘Beloved Pets Ofrenda,’ an altar created in observance of Día de los Muertos and National Hispanic Heritage Month. Located near the Front Entrance Plaza by Sea Life Cliffs, the ofrenda provides visitors with a place to honor their departed pets through photos, drawings, and mementos.
“Over these last several years, the Zoo has been able to share the rich Hispanic heritage of Los Angeles with its guests by co-creating this special ofrenda with our friends from Plaza de la Raza,” said Coral Barreiro, L.A. Zoo manager of community programs. “No matter your background, grief surrounding the loss of a pet is a universal feeling, and I am proud that we get to share these deep experiences with our community and provide our guests with the space to honor their pets and learn more about the culture that makes up this amazing City.”
An “ofrenda,” or “offering” in Spanish, is an altar created to commemorate loved ones who have passed, typically adorned with flowers, photos, food, and keepsakes. This traditional Día de los Muertos element is central to celebrations observed by many Hispanic, Latino, and Latinx cultures on Nov. 1 and 2. The L.A. Zoo’s collaboration with Plaza de la Raza aims to create a space that honors Los Angeles’ diversity and traditions.
The ‘Beloved Pets Ofrenda’ also received the prestigious Innovation in Education Award from the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA) at its 2024 Annual Conference in Calgary, Canada. This award recognizes impactful educational programming that fosters conservation awareness, encourages positive attitudes and behaviors, and demonstrates innovation.
The ‘Beloved Pets Ofrenda’ will be open each weekend through Nov. 3 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., including Indigenous People’s Day on Oct. 14. Zoo staff will be available to help guests print and display pet photos on the altar. Guests can also bring their own printed photos to contribute on weekdays during regular zoo hours.For more information, visit the L.A. Zoo’s website at Beloved Pets Ofrenda.
