SAN ANTONIO – Pearl is honoring a traditional Mexican holiday with its annual Día de los Muertos celebration.
The free event will take place from 5-9 p.m. on Nov. 2 at the Pearl, located at 303 Pearl Parkway.
Recommended Videos
Visitors can expect multiple altars/ofrendas, children’s activities, live music, art installations and more.
“As one of the largest Hispanic majority cities in the country, San Antonio’s Día de los Muertos celebrations stand out from the rest,” says Pearl CEO Mesha Millsap. “At Pearl, we contribute to these celebrations with our own altars, music and activities, providing a space where our community can celebrate and remember their loved ones in a culturally significant way.”
There will be stilt walkers from the dance company at the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center, drummers and puppets, Los Olvidados & Las Monas, and live music from Mexican-American folk singer and San Antonio native, Tish Hinojosa, according to a press release.
Activities also include face painting and opportunities for children to participate in and celebrate the beloved holiday.
El Rincon del Alebrije, presented by the Mexican Consulate, will have wooden guitars and calavera banks for kids to paint and take home.
Altars and art installations created by local artists and institutions to honor a variety of figures will be located throughout the Pearl.
There will also be a community altar for guests to participate in.
Altars and art installations for 2022 include:
- Community Altar by Artist Hector Garza and students from Incarnate Word High School - This year’s community altar will be created by artist and teacher Hector Garza and his students from Incarnate Word High School. The altar is dedicated to all women who have lived incredible lives of struggle and resilience. The community is invited to write a name on an LED candle to illuminate the altar.
- Mexican Cultural Institute Altar - This year the Mexican Cultural Institute will display an altar that honors Mexican singer, songwriter, actor and film producer Vicente Fernández.
- Catrina Garden & Altar by Artist Regina Moya - Artist Regina Moya will showcase four paper mache Catrinas, elegantly-dressed skeletons that are often associated with the holiday, to display alongside an altar dedicated to San Antonio community activist Emma Tenayuca.
- Tzompantli Wall by MM Creative and Larry Servin - Martha Martinez of MM Creative and Larry Sevin will create a modern interpretation of a Tzompantli (skull) wall that was often displayed in several Mesoamerican civilizations.
- Marigold Passage by Artists Manola and Maria Ramirez - Sisters and artists Manola and Maria Ramirez, part of the all-female collective Lavaca Studios, will create an immersive and interactive experience that is inspired by the belief that marigolds connect this world with the afterlife during Día de los Muertos.
- Spiritlandia Skulls - Two monumental skulls painted by local artists from Chef Johnny Hernandez’s Spiritlandia Calavera Collection will be on display.
The altars will be available for viewing from Nov. 1-6. The skull wall, catrinas and Spiritlandia skulls will be up through the first week of November.
You can also celebrate Día de los Muertos at Muertos Fest, San Antonio’s largest Día de Los Muertos festival.
More than 100,000 people are expected to attend Muertos Fest from Oct. 29-30 at Hemisfair. KSAT12 will be on-site on Saturday, October 29 to record a prime-time special, which will air on Sunday, October 30 from 8 p.m.-10 p.m. on KSAT12, KSAT.com and KSAT+.
There will be four stages of live music, 80 altars honoring local families and loved ones who have passed on and special events for children, artists and families.