In its grand, annual tradition, Old Town San Diego State Historic Park will celebrate the Mexican holiday known as “Dia de los Muertos” this weekend with a big, colorful bash lively enough to wake the dead.
The family-friendly, three-day celebration – which pays homage to those who have passed – features live music, a bustling street fair, artists, sugar skull crafting workshops and ornate Day of the Dead altars and décor.
The party goes down across several different “zones” in Old Town, including Bazaar del Mundo (Juan and Taylor streets), San Diego Avenue, the Whaley House and Fiesta de Reyes from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, and 10 a.m. through 6 p.m. Sunday. There's also an altar walk set for Friday evening.
The event includes a traditional candlelight procession Saturday at 6 p.m. that starts at the Old Town State Historical Park entrance and makes its way down San Diego Avenue to the historical El Campo Santo Cemetery. The procession will be led by Aztec dancers and will end with mariachis.
Many restaurants, businesses, museums and shops will be creating over 50 traditional altars throughout the park. A public altar will be located in El Campo Santo Cemetery where visitors are encouraged to add their own mementos, photos and written tributes to loved ones.
There are several ways to get to Old Town, here are some options:
Trolley
To get Old Town you can take the Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) Green Line to the Old Town stop.
Bus
To get to Old Town you may also take a bus to avoid traffic and parking stress, just click the link to access the MTS Trip Planner to tell you what routes to take based on where you are.
Driving
Old Town is located just north of downtown at the intersection of interstate 5 and 8.
Although Old Town does have several large, free parking lots, the Dia de los Muertos celebration draws pretty big crowds, so organizers suggest parking for free across the street at Caltrans on Saturday and Sunday.
To get more information and a complete schedule of events click here.
