Austin's largest and longest-running Dia de los Muertos event featuring a grand procession, traditional foods, art activities, and live performances.
The Mexic-Arte Museum hosts the 43rd Annual Viva La Vida Festival & Parade on Saturday, October 24, from 12 PM to 6 PM. It's Austin's largest and longest-running DĂa de los Muertos event, presented by the museum and co-sponsored by the City of Austin's ACME Department as part of Dia de los Muertos Celebrando Juntos. The holiday itself goes back to ancient Mexico, blending pre-Columbian traditions with Catholic Church practices, and it's celebrated by Mexicans, Mexican Americans, and people across Latin America.
The day starts with the Grand Procession at 12 PM, which marches down historic 6th Street before coming to a stop at E. 4th Street and Congress Avenue. This year's procession has a special section theme of 'la ofrenda'—artist-commissioned ofrenda components are carried through the parade and then assembled on the festival's altar-like stage. You'll also see large-scale moving sculptures and mojigangas along the route, plenty for photos as the parade makes its way downtown.
Once the procession reaches the museum, the party shifts to Mariposa Plaza. It fills with hands-on art activities, traditional foods, local artists, retail booths, a low-rider exhibition, and live performances. There's also the Muertos Mercado, which brings together more than 20 DĂa de los Muertos-inspired artists, artisans, and vendors. If you've been before, you know the drill: the parade is the big spectacle, and the plaza is where you hang out, eat, and browse for a few hours afterward.
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The festival runs from 12 PM to 6 PM at the Mexic-Arte Museum, 419 Congress Avenue, at the corner of 4th Street and Congress Avenue. Admission is free.
