Día de los Muertos is easily one of L.A.’s most vibrant holidays, with festivities across the city typically following Halloween. Día de los Muertos is a Mexican holiday in which family and friends come together to remember loved ones who have passed away and to guide their journey into the afterlife. The living visit graves and build altars, or ofrendas, decorating them with sugar skulls and marigolds, as well as the deceased’s favorite food, drinks and possessions. Celebrations across the city honor these cultural traditions in their own way with specialty food, music and dancing. Here are 12 Día de los Muertos celebrations honoring the holiday.
Credit: Don RiddleCelebrate the spirit of Día de los Muertos with an evening of bachata at Corteza, located on the 24th floor of The Ritz-Carlton in Downtown L.A. The experience on Oct. 30 includes a welcome cocktail and a guided bachata lesson, followed by social dancing. Día de los Muertos-inspired attire is encouraged, but not required.
Forest Lawn is honoring the dead with Día de los Muertos celebrations at four of its locations. The Glendale, Cypress, Covina Hills and Cathedral City locations will all host festivities on Nov. 1 complete with altars, six-foot-tall Catrinas, hand-painted alebrijes, mariachi performances and folklorico dance. Bob Baker Marionette performances will take place at the Glendale, Cypress and Covina Hills locations.
Celebrate the spirit of Día de los Muertos with this two-day celebration and art installation surrounding the Santa Monica Pier’s historic carousel. The celebration will start with an Aztec blessing and parade beginning at the west end of the pier, followed by a blessing of the ofrendas in the carousel building, ballet folklorico performances and live music. Festivities will take place Oct. 31 and Nov. 1.
The dead come to life at L.A. Plaza. Explore the historical and cultural significance of Día de los Muertos with traditional Oaxacan dance and ballet folklórico performances, a community ofrenda and hands-on art, garden and culinary workshops. The event on Oct 25 is free to the public, with food and beverages available for purchase.
Credit: Courtesy of SenderoLocated on the floor 24 of The Ritz-Carlton in Downtown L.A., The Agave Library is teaming up with Don Julio to bring guests a six-course dinner with stunning ofrenda, honoring the rich cultural traditions and heritage of Día de los Muertos. The special menu is curated by Chef Hendrix Vega. Menu highlights include passionfruit ceviche, blue crab aguacate relleno and a beef tenderloin in an ocopa sauce. Seatings for this experience are available Oct. 6 through 31.
Visit Gloria Molina Grand Park for a two-week display of over a dozen altars created by professional artists and community organizations. The display officially opens on October 24, during the Grand Ave Arts: All Access event, offering an afternoon of face painting, paper weaving and sugar-skull decorating, plus live mariachi music from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event closes with Noche de los Muertos on Nov. 1, which will feature various cultural performances and more family-friendly activities.
Hollywood Forever is bringing a mix of art, culture and tradition to Los Angeles on Saturday, Oct. 24, from 12 p.m. to 12 a.m., as its 27th Annual Día de los Muertos Celebration returns with an expanded lineup of cultural experiences celebrating their theme: “All Under One Sky / Bajo un Mismo Cielo.” Inside the historic Cathedral Mausoleum, the one-day exhibition will transform a nearly century-old space into a living gallery featuring 12 multigenerational artists. With a new stage dedicated to theater and cinema, nearly 300 folklórico and Aztec dancers, over 70 elaborate community-created altars and ofrendas and competitions dedicated to altars and costumes, this event is not one to miss.
Credit: Courtesy of Plaza MexicoCelebrate with Plaza México on Oct. 31. The festivities at this free event will begin at 12 p.m. with a traditional Aztec dance ceremony and blessing honoring ancestral roots, followed by live mariachi music and giveaways hosted by Jose Radio DJ GeeGee. Attendees are encouraged to wear costumes and participate in costume contests. The celebration will also feature cultural exhibits, altars honoring Día de Muertos traditions and trick-or-treat stops.
Take a stroll down the streets of San Pedro for the 15th annual Día de los Muertos Festival. The festival features regional Mexican snacks, folklore music, artisan crafts and kid-friendly activities. Don’t forget to stop by the ceremonial altars; you can even enter your own in a free competition. This event will take place at the intersection of 6th and Mesa Streets.
Credit: Courtesy of Spire 73Celebrate Día de los Muertos perched atop the InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown at Spire 73, the tallest open-air bar in the Western Hemisphere. Experience live DJ sets and Día de los Muertos-inspired drinks, including the La Calaverita and La Noche Eterna.
The center is hosting its very first Día de los Muertos celebration Nov. 1, teaching kids about the holiday with interactive activities. Guests can hear stories from Lil’ Libros authors, listen to music from Mariachi Tierra del Sol Juvenil de Los Angeles, build their own altars during workshops from Self Help Graphics, get their faces painted with festive designs and learn traditional dance styles from Everybody Dance L.A.
The University Park theater’s 21st annual Día de los Muertos block party includes a lengthy lineup of outdoor musical performances, featuring La Sonora Show and Banda la Fastidiosa, as well as Aztec dance troupe Huitzilopochtli and ballet folklórico group Sol de Fuego, along with a procession led by ceremonial dancers. The celebration will also feature carnival rides, homemade tamales, craft booths and more.
The post Celebrate Día de los Muertos With These 12 Events appeared first on LAmag.
