Día de los Muertos in Old Town San Diego 2025

Every year, I eagerly await the Día de los Muertos celebrations in Old Town San Diego, and I can confidently say that the highlight of the entire event is the annual procession to the El Campo Santo Cemetery. It's an event me and my family absolutely love and never miss!

This huge parade begins on Sunday, November 2nd, 2025, at 5:00pm on Twiggs Street, and continues all the way to the El Santos Campo Cemetery. You can take part in this candlelight procession with your family, or simply watch from the sidelines and admire the intricate costumes of revelers.

What are the Planned Highlights of the 2025 Procession to the El Campo Santo Cemetery?

This year’s procession will include Aztec dancers as well as park staff who will be dressed in 1800s period clothing. You can also see Catrina contest winners, and much more!

The parade will be accompanied by a traditional Mariachi band playing live music and culminate at a public altar in the El Campo Santo Cemetery. It’s one of the biggest events of Old Town’s Día de los Muertos festivities and a standout attraction in our 2025 Complete Guide to All the Holidays in San Diego.

Why I Think This is Special

Watching the procession is enjoyable, but walking as part of it is even better and a surefire way to make a timeless memory. My family and I join the walk to El Campo Santo Cemetery every year, so this is a sentimental celebration for me and one I would highly recommend.

I’ll go a step further this year and say that if there is only one day and one event you can attend to celebrate Día de los Muertos in 2025, I’d personally suggest that you make it the Procession to the El Campo Santo Cemetery.

In past years, we’ve mostly highlighted the live music on the Fiesta de Reyes Main Stage, an arena for live performances located in Old Town San Diego, as a fantastic way to celebrate Día de los Muertos.

For our 2025 edition, we wanted to offer you a bit more as the music is incredible, but so are the food and drink options, special events, shopping, face painters and more!

Enjoy Live Music

The Fiesta de Reyes Main Stage hosts live musical entertainment on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, and music or dance seven days a week during October in the lead up to the Day of the Dead. Throughout the year, these performances are some of the Best Things to Do in Old Town San Diego for visitors and locals alike.

As Día de los Muertos draws near, the venue will host themed music performed by top-notch Mexican bands. These shows are free to attend, so you can pop by and listen to the music at your leisure.

Past years have included performances by Mariachi bands, dancers, and local singers. The dedicated entertainment schedule for the Día de los Muertos celebration in 2025 takes place October 1st to November 2nd as part of their Fiesta De Reyes Día de los Muertos, La Experienca.

The 2025 performance times for October are as follows -

• Mondays: Folklorico Dancers 5:30pm - 8:15pm
• Tuesdays: Folklorico Dancers 5:30pm - 8:15pm
• Wednesdays: Folklorico Dancers 5:30pm - 8:15pm
• Thursdays: Mariachi Las Divinas: 5:30pm - 8:15pm
• Fridays: Mariachi Las Trinos: 5:00pm - 8:45pm
• Saturdays: Mariachi Las: Trinos 12:30pm - 4:15pm Luis Max: 5:30pm - 9:30pm
• Sundays: Folklorico Dancing 12:00pm - 4:00pm Mariachi Las Trinos 4:15pm - 8:00pm

You’ll find a special schedule for Día de los Muertos Weekend 2025.

• Friday 10/31:
  • Mariachi Las Trinos: 5:00pm - 8:45pm
• Saturday 11/1:
  • Folklorico Dancing 10am – 12:45pm
  • Mariachi Los Trinos 1:30pm – 5:15pm
  • Luis Max 6pm – 9:45pm
• Sunday 11/2:
  • Folklorico dancing 10am – 12:45pm
  • Mariachi Los Trinos 1:30pm – 5:15pm
  • Luis Max 6pm – 9:45pm

Dive into Some Traditional Mexican Cuisine

If you’re in the mood for some authentic Mexican food during your visit, be sure to dine at the nearby Casa De Reyes Mexican restaurant. Don’t worry, you’ll still be able to see and hear the stage performances from your seat. You can dig into traditional ceviche, tacos, guacamole, and my son’s favorite, the traditional fajitas as you enjoy the live music.

As a local tip, after dinner don’t forget to check out the tasty treats at Nibble Chocolate. They sell amazing organic chocolate that is truly out of this world!

Go Souvenir Shopping

Around Fiesta de Reyes, you’ll find shops selling a variety of goods, many of which are handmade and totally unique local items you won’t find anywhere else in San Diego.

A good number of these businesses are themed for Día de los Muertos. Goods sold around the pavilion include kids toys and books, clothing, novelty items, and wines.

Tienda de Reyes is my personal favorite! The store features local art, handmade dresses, stylish men’s shirts, an incredible selection of colorful hand painted sugar skulls and much more. They feature Día de los Muertos merchandise all year long. This just goes to show how popular this holiday is for this community.

Get Your Face Painted Like a Sugar Skull

Fiesta de Reyes will have Fiesta de Reyes professional face painters on site from October 31st until November 2nd this year. Getting your face painted is a one of a kind experience I couldn’t recommend more and as a family-friendly way to be part of the festivities.

My family loves getting our faces painted as catrinas so much that I’ll cover this experience in more details just a bit further down our list!

Why I Think This is Special

Fiesta de Reyes is an entertaining location to walk around any weekend during the year to see the performances and eat delicious food, but they really go all out during Día de los Muertos which makes it feel extra special.

Fiesta De Reyes Día de los Muertos, La Experienca 2025 promises to offer a taste of it all from music to food, face painting, dance and more!

Día de los Muertos is a holiday all about honoring the spirits of your ancestors which is why finding all the ofrendas around town is such a popular activity.

If you’ve never seen a street filled with ofrendas, it’s a moving tribute that I highly recommend you bring your family to see. They are truly amazing.

But perhaps you're wondering, ‘What is an ofrenda?

What are the Ofrendas All About During Día de los Muertos?

Mexicans often create lavishly decorated altars, known as ofrendas, that are dedicated to their loved ones, who are believed to come back to walk among them for one day a year on the Day of the Dead.

Ofrendas usually feature pictures of loved ones along with Aztec marigold flowers known as cempazúchitl, as well as food and drinks the person enjoyed.

Where Have the Old Town San Diego Ofrendas Been Found in Past Years?

During past celebrations, ofrendas lined Taylor Street, Twiggs Street, Harney Street, and San Diego Avenue, plus the El Santos Campo Cemetery. They transformed the area beautifully, especially knowing the meaning of these altars.

Every year, many local businesses put out their own ofrendas which you can visit. Dozens of stores, museums, and historic sites practice this tradition, so you’re guaranteed to see many of these decorated ofrendas as you traverse the streets.

Though this is an unofficial part of the town’s holiday festivities, it’s fun to walk around and discover the ofrenda locations for yourself! Many are near historic points of interest such as the Whaley House, the Immaculate Conception Church, State Historic Park, and the Mormon Battalion Historic Site.

Other notable locations include Fiesta de Reyes, Casa Guadalajara, the Cygnet Theater, and the Old Town Saloon.

Like many of the activities featured in the Complete Guide to All the Holidays in San Diego,

finding all of the ofrendas is a lot of fun for the entire family!

Why I Think This is Special

Finding ofrendas has no set schedule, which is great if you’re more laid back and looking to explore Old Town San Diego at your own pace. It’s been my experience that they start to appear at the beginning of October and by the middle of October are all over the neighborhood.

It’s a fun, family activity to see if you can locate them as you do some shopping and dine at authentic Mexican restaurants.

As I mentioned above, getting my face painted is one of my family’s favorite things to do during the events and once again on my must-do list in 2025! During the Día de los Muertos celebrations, Catrina's face paint is a custom nearly as old as the holiday itself!

Why Do People Paint Their Faces like Skeletons During Día de los Muertos?

A beautiful tradition, we see it as a way to pay homage to the holiday’s roots by turning our faces into decorative skulls and celebrating the holiday in the authentic Mexican way.

The face paint derives from the character of La Catrina. In Mexican folklore, she is depicted as a skeleton wearing a feathered hat. The original satiric drawing by political cartoonist José Guadalupe Posada was meant to critique materialism and has since been embraced and turned into a beloved icon by renowned artists like Diego Rivera.

Representing life and death, honoring loved ones that have passed, and recognizing mortality in a joyful way, today statues and paintings of La Catrina can be found in many Mexican owned businesses throughout San Diego, especially near the end of October. Getting your face painted is a great opportunity to learn about Mexican culture and Día de los Muertos celebrations.

Where Can I Get My Face Painted in Old Town San Diego?

Every year I find the face painters in front of Cafe Coyote in Old Town leading up to the holiday and also on Día de los Muertos itself. I can attest that they do an incredible job and are totally worth the price. If you still aren’t sure, scroll through our pictures here and see their work for yourself!

Previously mentioned, Fiesta de Reyes also has professional face painters in 2025 scheduled for Día de los Muertos weekend, from October 31st until November 2nd, 2025.

Why I Think This is Special

My family and I never skip this tradition when Día de los Muertos rolls around. It’s great for getting that perfect family photo, but it’s also an amazing way to feel more connected to the holiday and to take part in a tradition connected to Old Town’s history and culture.

Remember to check out our pictures! I can say that getting our face’s painted is also just good old fashioned fun!

San Diego’s Old Town Market is among the Best Farmers Markets in San Diego and a must-see stop for lovers of fresh food and handmade goods.

During the lead up to Día de los Muertos, the space is transformed into an Art Market known as the Mercado de Arte. Walking through the market and shopping at the dozens of vendors here is a great way to celebrate the holiday while also picking up some souvenirs.

What Can I Buy at the 2025 Mercado de Arte?

Vendors of all kinds set up shop, many of which sell goods tailored to Día de los Muertos. In between traditional taco trucks, you’ll find holiday favorites like decorated sugar skulls, pan de muerto, oaxaca hot chocolate, and my personal favorite, chicken served with mole negro sauce.

You can purchase bouquets of Aztec marigolds and locally made tequila to decorate your own Ofrenda, or shop for handcrafted decorative items to commemorate your trip and take home some of that Day of the Dead spirit. There is so much to do, see, and eat here! It’s truly amazing!

In past years, the Mercado de Arte was held a few days before Día de los Muertos, but for 2025 you can plan for it to be open on the weekend of the Day of the Dead - November 1st and November 2nd. Consider picking up some decorations, dresses, sugar skulls, and other local items for celebrating!

Why I Think This is Special

There are many places to shop in Old Town San Diego, but the Mercado de Arte is among the most unique. The vendors sell everything you need to throw a Day of the Dead party of your own or to bring a little memento of the holiday back with you.

Though Old Town San Diego has the biggest Día de los Muertos celebrations of anywhere in San Diego, it’s not the only neighborhood where you can find catrinas and ofrendas as November 2nd draws near. In fact, there are lots of other places commemorating Día de los Muertos, including in the Gaslamp Quarter!

What is the San Diego Zombie Crawl?

The San Diego Zombie Crawl is returning to the Gaslamp Quarter for five nights of Halloween and Dia de Los Muertos festivities this year. This involves more than 25 bars, restaurants, and nightclubs, so it’s obviously a 21 and over event. There will be tons of drink specials and over $400 in perks to take advantage of.

I recommend that you buy your tickets from the official site. Use promo code GQA10 at checkout to save 10% on your ticket price.

What Else is Going on for Día de los Muertos in the Gaslamp Quarter?

It’s common for people to visit the Gaslamp Quarter during Día de los Muertos weekend in costume, either with a simple marigold headband or a full-fledged outfit inspired by the Catrinas. Past years have seen over 100,000 attendees all enjoying the party by getting their faces painted, admiring fine art, shopping, and paying respects at the ofrendas.

Live entertainment is provided by bands and other performers who don’t just capture the attention of the crowds but also share the important cultural connections of this holiday in Mexican culture.

Last year’s lineup included appearances by Santana Pa Ti, Grupo Folklorico Herencia, Bobby Detroit, and Omar Moreno. This year’s lineup has not yet been published, so be sure to check the event site so you’ll be the first to know as more information becomes available.

Why I Think This is Special

The Gaslamp Quarter is filled with historic landmarks and restored buildings dating back to the mid-1850s, making for a backdrop like no other when the bright colors and festivities of Día de los Muertos transform its streets.

The San Diego Zombie Crawl is just a fun 21+ event that’s mostly Halloween, but should be a lot of fun for the adults in the middle of the Día de los Muertos celebrations.