South Philadelphia tradition with the S. 9th Street corridor closed to traffic and filled with altars, offerings and remembrances for Dia de los Muertos.
Dia de los Muertos takes over the S. 9th Street corridor on Sunday, November 1, from 11 AM to 5 PM. It's a South Philadelphia tradition that's been around for years, and this year it's part of the city's 250th anniversary neighborhood celebrations, which Philadelphia is marking across its different districts.
For the day, the street closes to traffic, and the neighborhood fills with altars, offerings, and remembrances. If you've never been, that's the core of it: the ofrendas—the altars people set up with photos, favorite foods, and mementos of the loved ones they're remembering. It's a day for honoring the dead, and the whole corridor becomes a place to do that together, out in the open rather than behind closed doors.
Because the street is closed, you can walk the stretch without worrying about cars, moving from one altar to the next. It's a neighborhood-wide gathering, and since it's part of the city's 250th anniversary celebrations, it sits alongside other events happening in different parts of Philadelphia throughout the year. The focus stays on the S. 9th Street corridor, though, which is the heart of the day.
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It runs from 11 AM to 5 PM on Sunday, November 1, across the 800-1100 block of S. 9th Street in South Philly. The street is closed to traffic for the duration, so it's a day for walking and lingering.
