Olvera Street holds its Día de los Muertos festival Sunday, October 25, through Monday, November 2, 2026, in downtown Los Angeles. The Olvera Street Merchants Association Foundation lists festival hours as 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. each day.
The nightly procession
Every night of the festival brings a Novenario procession with Grupo Tartalejos, Aztec dancers and “Living Muertos” participants dressed as skeletons, with a traditional Mayan blessing before and after. A ceremony in the Kiosko follows, honoring the loved ones of a merchant family or a community member.
Free sweet bread and drinks are handed out to everyone at the procession. Organizers have not posted a procession start time yet and say the performance schedule is coming soon.
Altars and theater
Las Ofrendas, an outdoor altar display, is part of the festival. Teatro del Barrio performs La Danza de la Muerte daily at 6 p.m. Daytime entertainment is planned for October 25, October 31 and November 1, with evening programming on November 2.
For families
Face painting by Kahlovera is available for a fee, with prices posted at the booth. The festival also includes the Carrera de los Muertos 5K. Theater and 5K details and registration are on the organizer’s site.
Sources
- Olvera Street Events: Day of the Dead on Olvera Street
- Olvera Street Events: 2026 Día de los Muertos flyer (PDF)
Featured photo: Visitor7 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0. The photo shows Olvera Street’s market stalls on an ordinary day.
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