Día de los Muertos Celebrations in San Diego 2024

As a neighborhood with large Mexican traditions, I love Old Town San Diego; it is one of the best places to learn about San Diego’s culture and heritage, especially during the holiday! As the largest festival in San Diego county, the multi-day Día de los Muertos celebrations in Old Town are by far my favorite.

In 2024, the Old Town festivities began on Saturday November 2nd and continued through Sunday November 3rd. But many businesses got into the spirit even earlier, decorating storefronts with skeletons and the traditional marigold flowers. Just walking down the street, it was easy and free to check out the altars (known as ofrendas) seemingly everywhere!

Old Town’s Día de los Muertos celebrations spanned nearly the entire neighborhood, with the main event taking place at the State Historic Park’s Fiesta de Reyes. When you attend, you will be treated to live music and traditional Mexican dances. I also always love how many booths there are for getting your face painted!

On Saturday November 2nd at 6:00 pm, there was a candlelit procession from the Immaculate Conception Church to El Campo Santo Cemetery. In the years to come, visit Old Town’s community altar and join the parade to the cemetery to take part in this truly authentic holiday celebration.

If a festival full of live music and dance sounds like your style, I recommend stopping by the Copley Plaza in Balboa Park for a Día de los Muertos celebration that will have everyone in high spirits - even the spirits themselves!

The Old Globe Theatre is the ideal place to watch a live performance throughout the year and one of our favorite places in San Diego to take out-of-town visitors. While many plays bring the classics to life, others are written and performed from a multicultural perspective, offering insight into the lives and cultures of people from different backgrounds. The Día de los Muertos celebration is no different, inviting attendees to either celebrate their own Mexican heritage or learn about the holiday and how their neighbors commemorate it.

Last year, the celebration was held on Sunday the 30th of October, 2023, from 11:00 am-1:30 pm.

If you were lucky enough to attend in 2023, you were treated to stunning performances by artists and groups including Danza Azteca Kuauhkoalt (DAK), an Aztec dance troupe; a staging of the play “Al Sonar las Doce”; a serenade from local musicians, and the Felix Drums Workshop drumline.

Our Complete Guide to All the Holidays in San Diego wouldn’t be complete without mentioning Downtown Chula Vista’s unforgettable Day of the Dead. Heavily decorated with marigolds, skulls, and dozens of photo op spots, the area is transformed into a center for cultural education, remembrance, and family fun!

What I always love most about this festival is that it’s completely free to attend, so families on a budget can enjoy the events stress-free. Live music and dance troupe performances are all free to watch, as is taking in the lively atmosphere and admiring the Davidson community altar.

Food options and getting the traditional face painting of la Catrina are two parts of the festivities that do come at a cost. Chula Vista had numerous onsite food vendors in 2023 sponsored by Las Jefas Market, but it was also possible to pass on these and spend next to nothing while attending.

The Chula Vista celebration always invites families of all backgrounds to learn about the history and importance of the Día de los Muertos. Last year’s celebrations included an altar decoration competition complete with prizes, a free screening of the family-friendly movie Book of Life by Guillermo del Toro, and many guided children’s crafts which are sure to make a return in the years to come!

Espíritu de Xochimilco is an annual Día de los Muertos celebration held in the cultural district of Barrio Logan each year, where Logan Ave meets St. Evans Street. In 2023, it took place on October 19th, 12:00-7:00 pm.

The event gets its name from Xochimilco in modern-day Mexico City, which is right where the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan once stood. The Día de los Muertos celebration is intended to call back to the “spirit of Xochimilco,” creating a connection between today and the traditions and heritage of the past. This blend of history and the present makes it a favorite activity on our Complete Guide to All the Holidays in San Diego list.

Spread over two blocks in 2023, the Espíritu de Xochimilco celebration is a bit bigger than festivities in other parts of San Diego, like those held at Chula Vista. This is in part thanks to many of the vendors selling food and merchandise. While not all stands are directly related to the holiday, the street fair feel of this celebration ensures it’s still well worth a visit.

Once you’ve had your fill of shopping, it’s a great idea to head over to the mainstage, which hosts local musicians, DJs, and other performers. I love Barrio Logan’s for grabbing some of the best tacos in San Diego. The yearly Día de los Muertos celebration is just another reason to get your family and friends together to enjoy the area and festivities!

Old Town San Diego may lay claim to the biggest Día de los Muertos celebration in San Diego, but it’s hardly the only one in the area! I’ve also enjoyed attending the festivities held in Encinitas. This event began as a community outreach program in partnership with the Encinitas Library, so it has an educational focus that makes it ideal for families with younger kids.

Encinitas sets aside space at the library for the creation of altars a week prior to the event. These altars are the soul of the holiday, so stopping by to see them - or making one of your own - is highly encouraged.

Activities like the altar making workshop and sugar skull decorating station are excellent ways to learn about the holiday in a hands-on way. Other workshops that have made an appearance in past years include themed printmaking and a poetry station. Live performances from Mariachi Chula Vista and Ballet Folklórico de San Dieguito have brought these lessons to life in a series of festive songs and dances.

You can be part of a traditional gathering that’s as much about having fun as it is about honoring tradition when you attend the Día de los Muertos event in Escondido.

Like many Día de los Muertos celebrations, this party is filled with live music and dance performances. In previous years, Aztec Dance and Ballet Folklorico put on stunning performances that entertained while also paying homage to the musicians’ roots. Space is set aside for community altars so visitors can embrace the true meaning of the holiday and remember their loved ones.

Other popular activities like face painting, family-friendly crafts, and a Catrina contest are offered, plus plenty of food trucks and vendor stalls. Unique touches such as a car show and a Frida Kahlo museum exhibition make this event truly unique!