More than a dozen Día de Muertos celebrations run across Seattle between Oct. 15 and Nov. 7. Sugar skull workshops, community altars, lucha libre wrestling and a Pike Place Market parade are all on the calendar.
Most events are free. A Seattle's Child guide by Alison Behnke first compiled the full lineup, published Oct. 9.
Día de Muertos is a Mexican holiday rooted in Indigenous traditions from Aztec, Maya and Toltec peoples. It falls on Nov. 1 and Nov. 2 and honors loved ones who have died through food, offerings, artwork and music. It is not a day for mourning.
Here is what is happening and when.
Sugar skull workshops at Seattle Public Library
Local artist Amaranta Sandys leads bilingual sugar skull decorating workshops at three branches: Lake City on Thursday, Oct. 15, at 4:30 p.m.; South Park on Tuesday, Oct. 20, at 4:30 p.m.; and Delridge on Thursday, Oct. 29, at 3 p.m. All three are free and offered in Spanish and English, according to the Seattle Public Library.
Pike Place Market parade, Friday, Oct. 23
Pike Place Market hosts a full day of Día de Muertos festivities from noon to 9 p.m. with mariachi music, folklórico performances, face painting, community altars and lucha libre wrestling. A parade starts at 6:30 p.m. The free event closes out the Market's inaugural Night Shift evening series, according to the city's SDOT blog.
Entre Hermanos gala, Saturday, Oct. 24
Entre Hermanos, the first Latino LGBTQ+ organization in Washington state, holds its 35th Anniversary and Día de Muertos Gala at the Sheraton Seattle Hotel. The ticketed event uses the colibri (hummingbird) as its symbol, representing a messenger between the spirit world and the living. Executive Director Edgar Mack-Longoria told the Seattle Gay News the event is a call for solidarity: "This is the time for people to be in solidarity with LGBTQ communities, with immigrant communities, with the Latino community."
Woodland Park Zoo animal ofrenda, Oct. 27 through Nov. 1
Families can honor beloved pets and animals at a community ofrenda. Contributions open Monday, Oct. 19. Digital photo submissions close Sunday, Oct. 25. Free with zoo admission.
Halloween weekend festivals
Two major celebrations run Saturday, Oct. 31, through Sunday, Nov. 1:
- Día de Muertos Festival Seattle at the Seattle Center Armory and Fisher Pavilion, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Free. Community altars, sugar skull making, processions and music. Part of the Seattle Center Festál series.
- Seattle Catrinas Festival at Town Hall Seattle, 1 to 9 p.m. Tickets are $45 general admission, $150 VIP and free for children 5 and under. The festival marks its fifth anniversary with mariachi, a monumental altar, a memory wall and a procession, as KOMO News reported.
El Centro de la Raza, Sunday, Nov. 1
The free celebration at Plaza Roberto Maestas on Beacon Hill runs noon to 5:30 p.m. with food, a mercado, live music, children's activities and an ofrenda exhibit themed "Raíces que Nos Unen." The exhibit continues Nov. 2 through Nov. 20 at El Centro de la Raza, 2524 16th Ave S.
Seattle Art Museum, Thursday, Nov. 5
Artist Fulgencio Lazo and his team create a tapete (sand painting) during Free First Thursday. Open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Free admission tickets available online and onsite.
Phinney Center, Saturday, Nov. 7
The Phinney Neighborhood Association closes out the season with a free festival from 2 to 5 p.m. Traditional dancers, a procession, crafts, face painting and an artist marketplace fill the afternoon. Mexican hot chocolate, pan de muerto and tamales are available for purchase. Altar dedication begins at 2:30 p.m.
Block your own street
Seattle residents can apply through SDOT's Trick-or-Streets program for free street-closure permits to host block celebrations between Oct. 21 and Nov. 2. Applications are due Tuesday, Oct. 20. The Queen Anne Chamber of Commerce promoted the program to Queen Anne residents.
