“Día De Los Muertos Monster Party” returning to Central Florida
The Downtown Arts District and community partners will host an evening of cultural displays, live entertainment and unique vendors on Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025.
AMERICAN HOLIDAY IS RETURNING HERE TO CENTRAL FLORIDA THIS THURSDAY. DOWNTOWN ARTS DISTRICT WILL HOST THE 16TH ANNUAL DIA DE LOS MUERTOS AND MONSTER PARTY IN DOWNTOWN ORLANDO. JOINING ME NOW WITH YOUR INVITE IS THE NONPROFIT’S EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, BARBARA HARTLEY. GOOD TO SEE YOU. AND OF COURSE, WE’VE GOT THE DIRECTOR OF LINDO ORLANDO DANCE STUDIO, GISELLA MALDONADO. GISELLA, GREAT TO HAVE YOU HERE. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. YEAH. LET’S TALK ABOUT THE EVENT. THURSDAY IS GOING TO BE A BIG TIME. WE’RE FEELING SPOOKY SEASON. WHAT DO YOU WANT EVERYBODY TO KNOW ABOUT THIS EVENT? I WANT EVERYONE TO KNOW THAT IT’S BEEN A 16 YEAR PROGRAM, AND WE’RE JUST SO EXCITED ABOUT ALL THE PARTNERS. IT’S GROWING EVERY YEAR. IT’S SOMETHING WE LOOK FORWARD TO AND IT’S OPEN FREE TO THE PUBLIC. SO WE HOPE THAT EVERYBODY COMES DOWN AND ENJOYS THEMSELVES. THEY CAN EXPERIENCE DANCE, TRADITIONAL FOLKLORE. MUSIC AND GOOD FOOD. A LOT OF FOOD TRUCKS AND AND ART. DIA DE LOS MUERTOS ART AND MONSTER ART UPSTAIRS. AND THIS YEAR, WHAT’S NEW IS PHANTASMAGORIA IS DOING AN EDGAR ALLAN POE EVENT UPSTAIRS. SO THAT’LL BE FUN. NICE AND SMOOTH. YES. AND GISELLA, FOR THOSE WHO AREN’T FAMILIAR, TELL US ABOUT MEXICO LINDO. YES, I’M A DIRECTOR. IT’S BEEN TEN YEARS. THIS IS OUR 10TH ANNIVERSARY AND WE BASICALLY. DO SHARE THE CULTURE OF MEXICO AND THE MEXICAN AMERICAN SPIRIT THROUGH DANCE TO CONNECT IN UNIVERSAL LANGUAGES OF LOVE AND HOPE. AND WE ALSO LIKE TO SERVE AS CATALYSTS FOR ARTISTS TO TAKE PRIDE IN THEIR OWN BACKGROUNDS. SO I TEACH AGES EIGHT AND UP, AND WE ALL GET TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS FUN EVENTS. YEAH. AND AGAIN, YOU CAN CHECK US OUT IF YOU WANT TO ATTEND DIA DE LOS MUERTOS OR ANY OTHER EVENT, YOU CAN CHECK US OUT IN OUR SOCIAL MEDIA. MEXICO LINDO ORLANDO. AND WE’RE JUST THRILLED TO BE PART OF THIS 16TH ANNIVERSARY. THIS IS OUR FIFTH YEAR, AND WE ARE HONORED TO BE PART OF IT. WELL, CONGRATULATIONS ON TEN YEARS FOR FOR YOUR STUDIO THERE. AND THANK YOU. LET’S TALK ABOUT HERITAGE. DIA DE LOS MUERTOS AND AND WHAT IT MEANS FOR FOR YOU TO SHARE THIS WITH THE CENTRAL FLORIDA COMMUNITY. YES. IT’S JUST A CELEBRATION OF LIFE. WE REALLY. REMIND OUR FAMILIES WHO ARE NO LONGER WITH US. SO WE CREATE A SPIRIT OF OF LOVE. AND IT’S REALLY FUN ALSO TO TO SHARE THESE, YOU KNOW, OUR CULTURE WITH EVERYONE WHO IS ACTUALLY LOVING THE THE SPIRIT OF DIA DE LOS MUERTOS IN GENERAL. AND BARBARA, YOU SEE THIS EVENT REALLY COME, COME TO LIFE HERE. AND IT’S PART OF THE WORK IN MISSION OF WHAT YOU ALL DO. ABSOLUTELY. WE’RE HERE FOR THE ARTS COMMUNITY, SO WE LOVE TO SEE THE COMMUNITY THRIVE. AND CULTURE IS PART OF THAT COMMUNITY. SO BRINGING THE EDUCATION AND THE BACKGROUND TO CENTRAL FLORIDA AND THE CELEBRATION IS REALLY SPECIAL. YEAH. AND DANCE IS SUCH A BIG PART OF IT. WHY DO YOU THINK THAT GISELLE DANCE IS SO IMPORTANT? BECAUSE DIA DE LOS MUERTOS IS BASICALLY CELEBRATED IN MEXICO. IT’S ALSO POURING INTO LATIN AMERICA IN GENERAL AND WORLDWIDE. BUT IT’S ALL ABOUT LIFE AND AND FUN. AND TO CELEBRATE IN A VERY FUN WAY TO REMIND OUR DEPARTED ONES IN A IN IN A HAPPY WAY. NOT IN A SAD WAY. AND I THINK THAT DANCE IS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL WAY WITH MUSIC TO TO CELEBRATE. YOU KNOW THAT THAT SPIRIT. YEAH, I LOVE IT. AND YOU SAID A COUPLE OF MINUTES AGO, HOPE AND LOVE, THAT’S ALL PART OF WHAT THIS IS. ALL RIGHT. SO IF WE WANT TO COME OUT, BARBARA, WHAT DO WE NEED TO KNOW? IT STARTS AT 6:00 AND IT WILL GO UNTIL 10:00 DOWNTOWN AT 39 SOUTH MAGNOLIA AVENUE. SO THAT’S THE HOME OF CITY ARTS, WHICH IS RUN AND OPERATED BY DOWNTOWN ARTS DISTRICT. YOU CAN FIND OUT MORE ONLINE AT DOWNTOWN ARTS DISTRICT.COM, OR GO TO OUR SOCIAL MEDIA CITY ARTS OR DOWNTOWN ARTS. AND YOU DO WANT US TO REGISTER. SO YOU HAVE AN IDEA OF WHO ALL IS GOING TO COME. YES, YES, THAT WOULD BE GREAT. SO FAR WE HAVE 500 PEOPLE THAT HAVE REGISTERED, SO IT’S DEFINITELY GROWING AND WE HOPE MORE WILL COME OUT TO ENJOY THE FESTIVITIES AND AND LEARN A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE MEXICAN CULTURE. THERE WILL BE A LIVE MARIACHI BAND, SEVERAL. PERFORMANCES, BEAUTIFUL ORIGINAL ARTWORK AND A OFRENDA, WHICH IS ALSO A TRADITION OF DIA DE LOS MUERTOS. OKAY, AND WE’RE GOING TO MAKE THIS EASY FOR YOU. WE’VE GOT A LINK TO ALL THE INFORMATION ON OUR WEBSITE WESH.COM. YOU CAN ALSO SCAN THAT QR CODE. IT’S GOING TO BE UP ON YOUR SCREEN FOR JUST A FEW MORE SECONDS. THANK YOU BOTH. THANK YOU BARBARA, IT’S GREAT TO HAVE YOU HERE. THANK YOU. WE HOPE YOU CAN JOIN US. YEAH. THANK YOU. I GOT AN EARLY BEDTIME
“Día De Los Muertos Monster Party” returning to Central Florida
The Downtown Arts District and community partners will host an evening of cultural displays, live entertainment and unique vendors on Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025.
Updated: 10:04 AM EDT Oct 14, 2025
The 16th annual “Día De Los Muertos Monster Party” will return to Central Florida on Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025.The Downtown Arts District and community partners will host an evening of cultural displays, live entertainment and unique vendors in Orlando. The executive directors of Downtown Arts District and Mexico Lindo Orlando join WESH 2 to preview the showcase of local, regional, national and international artists. 16th Annual Día de Los Muertos & Monster PartyWhen: Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025 Artists Opening Receptions at CityArts Orlando at 6 p.m.Street Party on Magnolia Avenue outside of CityArts Orlando 6 – 10 p.m.Where: CityArts, 39 S Magnolia Ave., Orlando, FL
ORLANDO, Fla. —
The 16th annual “Día De Los Muertos Monster Party” will return to Central Florida on Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025.
The Downtown Arts District and community partners will host an evening of cultural displays, live entertainment and unique vendors in Orlando.
The executive directors of Downtown Arts District and Mexico Lindo Orlando join WESH 2 to preview the showcase of local, regional, national and international artists.
16th Annual Día de Los Muertos & Monster Party
When: Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025
Artists Opening Receptions at CityArts Orlando at 6 p.m.
Street Party on Magnolia Avenue outside of CityArts Orlando 6 – 10 p.m.
Where: CityArts, 39 S Magnolia Ave., Orlando, FL