The Promenade in downtown Santa Monica will become an outdoor Day of the Dead festival colorful community altars and the larger-than-life La Catrina public art sculptures, created by Los Angeles-based artist Ricardo Soltero. (Photo courtesy Downtown Santa Monica, Inc.)
Sasha Puell of Lake Forest shows off her colorful and detailed face paint for the La Catarina costume contest during a Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, celebration at the Norman P. Murray Center in Mission Viejo on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024. (Photo by Jeff Antenore, Contributing Photographer)
Participants take place in the Catrina Contest during the 12th Annual San Pedro Día de los Muertos Festival on Saturday, Oct. 26. (Photo by Raphael Richardson, Contributing Photographer)
Participants take part in the Catrina Contest during the 12th Annual San Pedro Día de los Muertos Festival on Saturday, Oct. 26. (Photo by Raphael Richardson, Contributing Photographer)
Participants take place in the Catrina Contest during the 12th Annual San Pedro Día de los Muertos Festival on Saturday, Oct. 26. (Photo by Raphael Richardson, Contributing Photographer)
A woman dressed in a Catrina costume takes a photo with a child at the 12th Annual San Pedro Día de los Muertos Festival on Saturday, Oct. 26. (Photo by Raphael Richardson, Contributing Photographer)
Patty Ochoa shows off her intricate Catrina costume during the 12th Annual San Pedro Día de los Muertos Festival on Saturday, Oct. 26. (Photo by Raphael Richardson, Contributing Photographer)
Participants take place in the Catrina Contest during the 12th Annual San Pedro Día de los Muertos Festival on Saturday, Oct. 26. (Photo by Raphael Richardson, Contributing Photographer)
Participants take part in the Catrina Contest during the 12th Annual San Pedro Día de los Muertos Festival on Saturday, Oct. 26. (Photo by Raphael Richardson, Contributing Photographer)
Participants take part in the Catrina Contest during the 12th Annual San Pedro Día de los Muertos Festival on Saturday, Oct. 26. (Photo by Raphael Richardson, Contributing Photographer)
Participants take partin the Catrina Contest during the 12th Annual San Pedro Día de los Muertos Festival on Saturday, Oct. 26. (Photo by Raphael Richardson, Contributing Photographer)
Participants take part in the Catrina Contest during the 12th Annual San Pedro Día de los Muertos Festival on Saturday, Oct. 26. (Photo by Raphael Richardson, Contributing Photographer)
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The Promenade in downtown Santa Monica will become an outdoor Day of the Dead festival colorful community altars and the larger-than-life La Catrina public art sculptures, created by Los Angeles-based artist Ricardo Soltero. (Photo courtesy Downtown Santa Monica, Inc.)
San Pedro’s Dia de Los Muertos Festival has become one of the downtown area’s biggest draws since it launched 15 years ago, now pulling in thousands, and it will return later this month
This year’s event will take place from 3 to 9:30 p.m. on Oct. 25 in the town’s historic downtown shopping district near the waterfront.
“San Pedro’s annual Día event is a living bridge between past and present,” said Jacob Eisentberg, board chair of Discover San Pedro, which puts on the event. “We are opening our waterfront community to families across Los Angeles to experience the beauty of Mexican tradition, remember loved ones, and celebrate the richness of life together.”
Folks can sign up now to participate in the popular Catrina Costume Contest, which will take place in the afternoon. Elaborate headdresses, intricate makeup and striking costumes will be on full display during the contest. Entering is free.
The Catrina Contest is centered around one of the most recognizable symbols of Day of the Dead celebrations — a tall female skeleton (“La Catrina”) wearing a fancy hat with feathers. The symbol is believed to date back to the Aztec traditions surrounding a “goddess of death.”
Catrinas from across Southern California have attended the celebration to compete in the contest, creating their costumes to honor departed loved ones and celebrate Día de Los Muertos traditions.
Contestants will join a procession throughout the event area and, when they arrive at the main stage, judges will interview them and evaluate originality, authenticity, makeup, craftsmanship and presentation.
This year, festival visitors can also vote electronically for their favorite Catrinas. The first-place winner will receive a round-trip helicopter ride for two to Catalina Island, courtesy of Maverick Helicopters.
More than 15,000 visitors attended last year’s Día de los Muertos event, according to organizers, many decked out in face paint and costumes.
Other highlights will include:
Live entertainment on two stages, headlined by Grammy Award-winning Mariachi Divas on the main stage.
Guests adored in Día de los Muertos makeup and costumes.
Altars and classic car ofrendas (displays) created by artists and community members to honor departed loved ones.
More than 80 local vendors selling handcrafted goods, art and cuisine.
A beer and wine garden with craft selections and prized cocktails with a Latin flair.
This year’s event will also honor the monarch butterfly, a “symbol of the souls of loved ones passed” and connecting the cultural tradition to the natural world. The new immersive live butterfly experience will let guests can interact with monarch butterflies.
A “Wings of Remembrance” art installation will also feature giant butterfly images in displays that will dot the festival grounds. Painted in vibrant colors and patterns by local artists and youth organizations, each giant monarch is designed to remind participants of enduring connections, organizers said.
“Downtown San Pedro hosts one of the city’s most popular Día de Los Muertos festivals,” said Ryan Blaney, CEO of Discover San Pedro. “While downtown San Pedro is a year-round hub for art and culture, Día is our biggest annual celebration, drawing more than 15,000 visitors of all ages.”
Business and media sponsorships are still available by contacting Gianine Rizzi at grizzi@sanpedrobid.com/.