Old Town San Diego State Historic Park will be the scene for D\u00eda de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, traditionally celebrated throughout Mexico and San Diego Nov. 1 and 2 each year. This year, the festivities will begin Nov. 1 in the Fiesta de Reyes plaza and then head into the state park on Nov. 2 through Nov. 3.
\nD\u00eda de los Muertos is a community-wide celebration of the history, Hispanic culture and rich heritage of the region. It is at this time of year that the spirits of loved ones who have died are thought to return to celebrate with friends and family.
\nThe state park will play host to a lively celebration full of activities and attractions for the whole family that will be a fitting tribute to those who have gone before us. A professional artist will be painting a gigantic Day of the Dead skull in the middle of the park. There will also be a public altar on which visitors can place remembrances, many craft stations, a prize wheel, live entertainment, two Saturday and two Sunday performances of a specially written D\u00eda de los Muertos play with professional actors, and booths featuring artists, Day of the Dead merchandise, food and drink samples, tamales, face painters and more.
\nA vibrant D\u00eda de los Muertos parade will proceed around the state park plaza on Saturday at 5 p.m. featuring many local groups and performers.
\nLarger-than-life puppets will roam the park and pinatas will rule the day for kids. Merchants and museums in the state park will host activities and many will be displaying altars dedicated to noteworthy San Diegans created especially for the celebration. An altar map will be available for those wishing to tour them all. A very popular activity that has grown each year, will be the Sidewalk Graveyard Community Art project on Nov. 1 and 2 where the public can memorialize a loved one or friend in chalk on the sidewalk in the middle of the park.
\nAdult visitors who wish to raise a glass to the departed can do so in a beer garden on Saturday and live entertainment will fill the park stage both days. There will be a very popular Catrin y Catrina Costume Contest on the plaza stage on Saturday.\u00a0
\nAs is the custom every year, the Fiesta de Reyes courtyard at the north end of the state park will be full of fanciful, humorous, and visually stimulating d\u00e9cor, offered as tributes to many of San Diego\u2019s early citizens. Many life-sized Catrina skeleton dolls in fancy dress, and many larger-than-life-size, hold court at Fiesta de Reyes throughout the fall season. New displays are added every year, each one trying to outdo the last, so this is not to be missed. This year, there will be more than 50 unique D\u00eda de los Muertos displays in Fiesta de Reyes,
\nLively folklorico dancers, dressed in D\u00eda de los Muertos costumes, will be performing on the Fiesta de Reyes stage throughout the celebration, starting on Saturday, Nov. 2 and continuing through Sunday, Nov. 3.
\nThe activities in the state park start at 11 a.m. each day and go until 9 p.m. on Saturday and 5 p.m. on Sunday. The party will continue in the Fiesta de Reyes plaza until 9 p.m. on Sunday. Free parking is available throughout Old Town with extra parking available across Taylor Street in the CalTrans parking lot all day on weekend days and after 5 p.m. on weekdays.
\nFor information and a complete schedule of events, visit fiestadereyes.com\/ddlm or dayofthedeadsd.com. Fiesta de Reyes Dia de los Muertos event schedule Friday, Nov. 1
\nFiesta de Reyes \u2022 Noon \u2013 8\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Face painters at FdR, Barra Barra, and The Cosmopolitan \u2022 6 \u2013 8:45 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Los Rios Mariachi Fusion Saturday, Nov 2
\nPark Plaza \u2022 Noon \u2013 9\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Tamale cart \u2022 Noon \u2013 4\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Kid\u2019s area
\nChildren\u2019s Arts and Crafts in plaza
\nGiant skull painting demo
\n$5 face painters (for kids only)
\nWheel of Fortune \u2022 1:15 \u2013 5:45 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Giant skeleton puppet bride and groom \u2022 Noon \u2013 8\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Face painters at FdR, Barra Barra, The Cosmopolitan, and Beer Garden \u2022 1:00 \u2013 1:30\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Dia de los Muertos Theatrical play \u2022 1 \u2013 9 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Beer garden at El Fandango \u2022 2 \u2013 2:30\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Dia de los Muertos Theatrical play \u2022 2:30 \u2013 2:50\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Aztec Dancers \u2022 3 \u2013 3:30\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Umbrella Ship & Stilt Walker \u2022 3 \u2013 3:30\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Dia de los Muertos Theatrical play \u2022 3:30 \u2013 3:50\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Aztec Dancer \u2022 4 \u2013 4:30\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Umbrella Ship & Stilt Walker, 2 Mythological Creature stilt puppets \u2022 4:30 \u2013 5:00\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Costume Contest (plaza stage) \u2022 5 \u2013 5:30\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 PARADE \u2022 5:30 \u2013\u00a0\u00a0 8:30 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Santana Pa Ti (Latin music band) \u2022 7 \u2013 7:30\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Giant skeleton puppet and skeleton stilt walker (at Fiesta de Reyes) \u2022 8 \u2013 8:30\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Giant skeleton puppet and skeleton stilt walker (at Fiesta de Reyes)
\nFiesta de Reyes
\n11:15 \u2013 3\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Folkl\u00f3rico Dancing
\n3:30 \u2013 6:15 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Jesse Michel (Latin music band)
\n6:45 \u2013 10:30\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Los Rios Mariachi Fusion
\n\u00a0
\nSunday, Nov. 3
\nPark Plaza \u2022 Noon \u2013 8\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Tamale cart \u2022 Noon \u2013 4\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Kid\u2019s area
\nChildren\u2019s Arts and Crafts in plaza
\nGiant skull painting demo
\n$5 face painters (for kids only)
\nWheel of Fortune \u2022 Noon \u2013 12:30\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Dia de los Muertos Theatrical play \u2022 12:15 \u2013 3:45 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Giant skeleton puppet bride and groom \u2022 Noon \u2013 8\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Face painters at FdR, Barra Barra, The Cosmopolitan, and Beer Garden \u2022 12:30 \u2013 12:50\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Aztec Dancers \u2022 1 \u2013 1:30\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Dia de los Muertos Theatrical play \u2022 1:30 \u2013 1:50\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Aztec Dancers \u2022 2 \u2013 5\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Luis Max & Blue Moon (Latin music band)
\nFiesta de Reyes
\n10:15 \u2013 2\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Folkl\u00f3rico Dancing
\n2:30 \u2013 6:15 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Jesse Michel (Latin music band)
\n6:45 \u2013 9:30 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Los Rios Mariachi Fusion.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Old Town San Diego State Historic Park will be the scene for D\u00eda de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, traditionally celebrated throughout Mexico and San Diego Nov. 1 and 2 each year. This year, the festivities will begin Nov. 1 in the Fiesta de Reyes plaza and then head into the state park […]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":726,"featured_media":268488,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"11561","_seopress_titles_title":"Old Town to hold D\u00eda de los Muertos celebration","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"jnews_override_counter":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[11549,12360,11551,11561],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-268489","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-arts-entertainment","category-duplicate","category-news","category-peninsula-beacon"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/268489","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/726"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=268489"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/268489\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/268488"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=268489"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=268489"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=268489"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}