EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — The City of El Paso Museums & Cultural Affairs Department and the Mexican American Cultural Center are hosting the 2025 Día de los Muertos Festival & Desfile.

The celebration takes place from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, November 1, in the Downtown Arts District.

The festival features free arts and cultural programming for the whole family centered at San Jacinto Plaza and Cleveland Square Park.

The MACC, the El Paso Museum of Archaeology, the El Paso Museum of Art (EPMA), and the El Paso Museum of History (EPMH) will host hands-on activities centered on this year’s theme of alebrijes, brightly colored Mexican folk art sculptures of fantastical creatures.

The Día de los Muertos Desfile (parade), presented by GECU Federal Credit Union, begins at 4 p.m.

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The parade kicks off with a dance performance and includes over 40 groups featuring alebrijes, animals, live music, and decorated floats. Television media sponsor Telemundo 48 will stream the parade live.

Featured Activities:

Parade through Downtown beginning at 4 p.m.El Mercadito by The Market EP at San Jacinto Plaza (50 artisan vendors & food trucks), 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.Music stage at San Jacinto Plaza, with headliner Frontera Bugalú at 8 p.m.Entre Mundos, an immersive Chihuahuan Desert-themed experience at the MACC, Noon-9 p.m.Curated Community Altars at the MACCHands-on activities at the MACC, EPMH, EPMA, La Nube, Downtown Visitor Information Center, and Cleveland Square ParkBallet Folklorico Paso del Norte performances at the MACC, 1 p.m., 5:30 p.m., 7 p.m.CODEX MIQUIZTLI story hour sessions at the MACC, 12 p.m., 2 p.m., 6 p.m.Coco film screening at the MACC, 11 a.m.

The El Paso Museum of Archaeology will be closed on Saturday, November 1, to allow museum staff to participate in the Downtown event. All MCAD sites (EPMArch, EPMA, EPMH, and the MACC) will be closed on Sunday, November 2.

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