Día de los Muertos in Austin 2026: Viva la Vida Parade, Altars and Events

Día de los Muertos is Nov 1 and 2, and Austin celebrates it across two weekends. It starts with the free Viva la Vida Festival and Parade downtown this Saturday, Oct 24, and ends with community altars and performances at the Mexican American Cultural Center and Waterloo Park on Sunday, Nov 1. Here's where to go, with times, addresses and what to bring.

Viva la Vida and the Waterloo Park celebration are free. Day of the Dead is a celebration of loved ones who have passed, not a Halloween party, so come ready to learn, look and remember. Get Austin's best events every week by following @theatxweekly on Instagram.

Día de los Muertos in Austin at a Glance

• Sat Oct 24 — Viva la Vida Festival and Parade downtown. The parade steps off at noon down 6th St, and the festival runs until 6pm at 4th St and Congress Ave. Free.
• Sun Nov 1 — Día de los Muertos at the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center, 1pm to 6pm, with altars and art installations. Family-friendly and alcohol-free.
• Sun Nov 1 — Waterloo Greenway's Día de los Muertos at the Moody Amphitheater from 4pm, with community altars, Danza Azteca, Ballet Folklórico and mariachi. Free.
• Mon Nov 2 — Waterloo Park's community altars stay up through Monday, so you can visit after the weekend crowds.

Viva la Vida Festival and Parade: Sat Oct 24

Austin's longest-running Day of the Dead celebration turns 43 this year. Mexic-Arte Museum's Grand Procession starts at noon with costumes, live music, dancers and floats, marching down historic 6th Street to 4th Street and Congress Avenue. This year's theme is la ofrenda: artist-made ofrenda pieces ride in the parade, then get assembled on the festival stage.

After the parade, the festival fills the blocks around the museum with hands-on art, traditional food, a low-rider show, live performances and the Muertos Mercado, a market of more than 20 Día de los Muertos artists and vendors.

Get there by 11:30am for a spot on 6th Street. It's also F1 race weekend downtown, so expect traffic and leave the car at home if you can.

Día de los Muertos at the ESB-MACC: Sun Nov 1

The Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center on Lady Bird Lake hosts its own celebration on Nov 1, with Day of the Dead altars and art installations. It's family-friendly and alcohol-free, and it's the calmer, more reflective pick of the two Nov 1 events.

Día de los Muertos at Waterloo Park: Sun Nov 1

Waterloo Greenway turns the Moody Amphitheater into a community celebration with a main ofrenda where you can add photos and mementos of your own loved ones, plus a pet altar. Expect Danza Azteca, Ballet Folklórico and mariachi, face painting, an artisan market from Future Front Texas and local food vendors.

What Is Día de los Muertos?

Día de los Muertos is a Mexican tradition that welcomes back the spirits of loved ones who have died. Families build ofrendas, home altars with photos, candles, cempasúchil marigolds, pan de muerto, sugar skulls and the person's favorite foods and drinks. It's celebrated Nov 1 and 2, and while it falls right after Halloween, it's a separate tradition about memory and family, not fear.

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Cover photo: Roger Ce / Unsplash.