For Louie Gutierrez, co-owner of La Reyna Bakery, D\u00eda de Muertos holds special meaning. His father died in a car accident on the Golden Gate Bridge in the 1990s, and since then the holiday has become a time to reflect and reconnect. \u201cIt\u2019s a way for those who used to live in the Mission, both the living and the dead, to come back home,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Every year, Latino communities across San Francisco mark D\u00eda de Muertos in their own ways: through processions, altar exhibits, art, music and food. For some, it\u2019s a festive time to gather in the streets. For others, it\u2019s a moment to stay connected to their roots and honor those who came before them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here are eight ways San Francisco communities are keeping the spirit alive this year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Friday, Oct. 10 \u2013 Friday, Nov. 7<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nWe Love You: SOMArts\u2019 D\u00eda de Muertos exhibition<\/strong><\/a>
This year\u2019s 26th-annual SOMArts exhibit, We Love You, features personal and political altars that respond to ongoing struggles around immigration, health care, and LGBTQ+ rights. The show centers women, trans, and queer artists, highlighting the resilience of community through creativity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\u201cThis year\u2019s theme is a response to what\u2019s happening in the world through honoring the dead,\u201d said co-curator Rio Ya\u00f1ez, a Mission District native and son of the late artist Ren\u00e9 Ya\u00f1ez, who co-founded SOMArts\u2019 D\u00eda de Muertos tradition. \u201cWe opened up the show specifically to self-identified women, trans and gender-nonconforming artists as a way to amplify those voices and give them a platform in direct response to the policies and actions of the Trump administration.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Co-creator Bridgett Rex added that the exhibit reflects the full spectrum of emotion the season evokes. \u201cThis show is so unique in that it\u2019s directly responsive to what is happening in the world,\u201d Rex said. \u201cYou can be tearful, and you can be happy at the same time. Keep a couple tissues in your pocket but also be ready to laugh, have fun, and make memories with your community.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When: 6-9 PM
Where: SOMArts Cultural Center, 934 Brannan St., San Francisco
Admission: Suggested donation $15<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eltecolote.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/10112024-PALESTINESOMARTS-ET-PU-6-scaled.jpg?resize=2560%2C1703&quality=89&ssl=1\")
Silhouettes of people gathered during the opening reception of the SOMArts\u2019 D\u00eda de Muertos event with last year\u2019s theme being, \u201cBearing Witness,\u201d an expression of solidarity with Palestine, in San Francisco, Calif., on Oct. 14, 2024. Photo: Pablo Unzueta for El Tecolote<\/em> \/ CatchLight Local.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nWednesday, Oct. 29<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n\u201cCoco\u201d in Concert with Live Orchestra
<\/strong><\/a>Watch the Academy Award\u2013winning film \u201cCoco\u201d on the big screen with live orchestral accompaniment by the San Francisco Symphony. The family-friendly event will feature art installations, tamales, skull cookies, hot chocolate and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhen: 7 PM
Where: Davies Symphony Hall, 201 Van Ness Ave., San Francisco
Tickets: Starting at $62.50 | Kids 50% off<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Saturday, Nov. 1<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nD\u00eda de Muertos Market at Yerba Buena Gardens<\/a>
<\/strong>Yerba Buena Gardens Festival and Cultura y Arte Nativa de las Am\u00e9ricas (CANA) present a free, family-friendly D\u00eda de Muertos market honoring Maestro Eddie Palmieri and his musical legacy. The celebration begins with an Indigenous blessing and procession, followed by a community altar, food vendors and artisan booths, live mural painting and performances from Indigenous dance groups.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhen: 4-9 PM
Where: Mission St. between 3rd & 4th Sts., San Francisco
Admission: Free<\/p>\n\n\n\n
San Francisco Symphony D\u00eda de Muertos Concert<\/a>
<\/strong>Conducted by Lina Gonz\u00e1lez-Granados and curated by Martha Rodr\u00edguez-Salazar in collaboration with Casa C\u00edrculo Cultural, this year\u2019s concert highlights Latin American composers including Gabriela Ortiz, Arturo M\u00e1rquez, and Gabriela Lena Frank. The celebration also includes art installations and family-friendly activities such as sugar-skull decorating, tissue-flower making, face painting, and even a Mariachi instrument petting zoo.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhen: Event begin 1:30 PM; concert 3 PM (installations on view through Nov. 12)
Where: Davies Symphony Hall, 201 Van Ness Ave., San Francisco
Tickets: Adults $62.50 and up | 18 and under 50% off<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Opening Reception: The Reimagining of Tuteku<\/strong><\/a>
An art exhibition at Acci\u00f3n Latina (publisher of El Tecolote<\/em>) by Salvadoran-American artist Mincho Vega exploring the Indigenous Lenca and Pipil traditions documented by ethnomusicologist Mar\u00eda de Baratta. Vega reimagines \u201cTuteku,\u201d the Nahuatl word for \u201cgreat spirit,\u201d as a living force that bridges the seen and unseen.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThrough painting, sculpture, and altar-making, the exhibition becomes a reclamation of memory and ancestral presence. The opening reception will feature music by DJ Wonway Posibul.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When: 5\u20139 p.m.\u2028
Where: Acci\u00f3n Latina (2958 24th St.,), San Francisco
Admission: Free<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sunday, Nov. 2<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nFestival of Altars at Potrero del Sol Park<\/strong><\/a>
The Marigold Project\u2019s 33rd annual Festival of Altars invites the entire community to build personal altars, enjoy live performances and take part in cultural ceremonies throughout the day. \u201cWhat makes this event special is that we not only create a celebration of life, but we also create a sanctuary,\u201d said Deni Slehiman, education director for the Marigold Project. \u201cIt feels like an intimate space we craft through love and intention. Rather than doing a big procession in the streets, we allow people to enter this sanctuary and create their own space.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nSlehiman added that the event carries particular meaning for those far from their homelands. \u201cWhen we grieve, it\u2019s hard to express ourselves,\u201d said Deni Slehiman, education director for the Marigold Project. \u201cEspecially as immigrants, far from our culture and our families. But no matter where we are, we can continue the legacy of those who came before us and pass that knowledge to younger generations.\u201d Visitors are encouraged to bring offerings such as photos, flowers or candles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When: 8 AM-9 PM (installation begins at 8 AM; ceremony at noon; performances 5 PM-9 PM)
Where: 2827 Cesar Chavez St, San Francisco<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eltecolote.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/11022024-DIADEMUERTOS-ET-PU-23-scaled.jpg?resize=2560%2C1703&quality=89&ssl=1\")
A marigold on the ground is backdropped by Azteca Dancers during the 43rd annual procession for D\u00eda de Muertos on 24th and Bryant Street in San Francisco, Calif., on Nov. 2, 2024. Thousands of people gathered in the Mission District to observe the color procession that takes place every year. Photo: Pablo Unzueta for El Tecolote<\/em> \/ CatchLight Local.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
This year\u2019s 26th-annual SOMArts exhibit, We Love You, features personal and political altars that respond to ongoing struggles around immigration, health care, and LGBTQ+ rights. The show centers women, trans, and queer artists, highlighting the resilience of community through creativity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis year\u2019s theme is a response to what\u2019s happening in the world through honoring the dead,\u201d said co-curator Rio Ya\u00f1ez, a Mission District native and son of the late artist Ren\u00e9 Ya\u00f1ez, who co-founded SOMArts\u2019 D\u00eda de Muertos tradition. \u201cWe opened up the show specifically to self-identified women, trans and gender-nonconforming artists as a way to amplify those voices and give them a platform in direct response to the policies and actions of the Trump administration.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Co-creator Bridgett Rex added that the exhibit reflects the full spectrum of emotion the season evokes. \u201cThis show is so unique in that it\u2019s directly responsive to what is happening in the world,\u201d Rex said. \u201cYou can be tearful, and you can be happy at the same time. Keep a couple tissues in your pocket but also be ready to laugh, have fun, and make memories with your community.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When: 6-9 PM \u201cCoco\u201d in Concert with Live Orchestra When: 7 PM D\u00eda de Muertos Market at Yerba Buena Gardens<\/a> When: 4-9 PM San Francisco Symphony D\u00eda de Muertos Concert<\/a> When: Event begin 1:30 PM; concert 3 PM (installations on view through Nov. 12) Opening Reception: The Reimagining of Tuteku<\/strong><\/a> Through painting, sculpture, and altar-making, the exhibition becomes a reclamation of memory and ancestral presence. The opening reception will feature music by DJ Wonway Posibul.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When: 5\u20139 p.m.\u2028 Festival of Altars at Potrero del Sol Park<\/strong><\/a> Slehiman added that the event carries particular meaning for those far from their homelands. \u201cWhen we grieve, it\u2019s hard to express ourselves,\u201d said Deni Slehiman, education director for the Marigold Project. \u201cEspecially as immigrants, far from our culture and our families. But no matter where we are, we can continue the legacy of those who came before us and pass that knowledge to younger generations.\u201d Visitors are encouraged to bring offerings such as photos, flowers or candles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When: 8 AM-9 PM (installation begins at 8 AM; ceremony at noon; performances 5 PM-9 PM)
Where: SOMArts Cultural Center, 934 Brannan St., San Francisco
Admission: Suggested donation $15<\/p>\n\n\n\nWednesday, Oct. 29<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/strong><\/a>Watch the Academy Award\u2013winning film \u201cCoco\u201d on the big screen with live orchestral accompaniment by the San Francisco Symphony. The family-friendly event will feature art installations, tamales, skull cookies, hot chocolate and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Where: Davies Symphony Hall, 201 Van Ness Ave., San Francisco
Tickets: Starting at $62.50 | Kids 50% off<\/p>\n\n\n\nSaturday, Nov. 1<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/strong>Yerba Buena Gardens Festival and Cultura y Arte Nativa de las Am\u00e9ricas (CANA) present a free, family-friendly D\u00eda de Muertos market honoring Maestro Eddie Palmieri and his musical legacy. The celebration begins with an Indigenous blessing and procession, followed by a community altar, food vendors and artisan booths, live mural painting and performances from Indigenous dance groups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Where: Mission St. between 3rd & 4th Sts., San Francisco
Admission: Free<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/strong>Conducted by Lina Gonz\u00e1lez-Granados and curated by Martha Rodr\u00edguez-Salazar in collaboration with Casa C\u00edrculo Cultural, this year\u2019s concert highlights Latin American composers including Gabriela Ortiz, Arturo M\u00e1rquez, and Gabriela Lena Frank. The celebration also includes art installations and family-friendly activities such as sugar-skull decorating, tissue-flower making, face painting, and even a Mariachi instrument petting zoo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Where: Davies Symphony Hall, 201 Van Ness Ave., San Francisco
Tickets: Adults $62.50 and up | 18 and under 50% off<\/p>\n\n\n\n
An art exhibition at Acci\u00f3n Latina (publisher of El Tecolote<\/em>) by Salvadoran-American artist Mincho Vega exploring the Indigenous Lenca and Pipil traditions documented by ethnomusicologist Mar\u00eda de Baratta. Vega reimagines \u201cTuteku,\u201d the Nahuatl word for \u201cgreat spirit,\u201d as a living force that bridges the seen and unseen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Where: Acci\u00f3n Latina (2958 24th St.,), San Francisco
Admission: Free<\/p>\n\n\n\nSunday, Nov. 2<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The Marigold Project\u2019s 33rd annual Festival of Altars invites the entire community to build personal altars, enjoy live performances and take part in cultural ceremonies throughout the day. \u201cWhat makes this event special is that we not only create a celebration of life, but we also create a sanctuary,\u201d said Deni Slehiman, education director for the Marigold Project. \u201cIt feels like an intimate space we craft through love and intention. Rather than doing a big procession in the streets, we allow people to enter this sanctuary and create their own space.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Where: 2827 Cesar Chavez St, San Francisco<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eltecolote.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/11022024-DIADEMUERTOS-ET-PU-1-scaled.jpg?resize=2560%2C1703&quality=89&ssl=1\")