Day of the Dead Celebration: Gran Fiesta de los Muertos

Gran Fiesta de los Muertos returns to Gateway Plaza at FDR Park on Saturday, October 24, from 5 PM to 8 PM. It's the annual Día de los Muertos celebration that brings the Mexican holiday to Fairmount Park, and this year it's centered around the park's pedestrian entrance at Broad Street and Pattison Avenue.

The evening is built around music and dance performances, face painting, and an art installation. Leading the way is artist Cesar Viveros Herrera, who has spent more than three decades creating public art in both the United States and his native Mexico. He's worked with several Philadelphia art organizations, including Mural Arts and the Fleisher Art Memorial, and his public work reaches beyond murals to include Aztec dances and ceremonies, miniature altars, sculptures, fresco paintings, mosaics, and feather work. The art installation at the entrance draws from that same tradition.

Food and shopping round out the night. You'll find food from FDR Park's Latino Market and handcrafted goods from Mercado de Latinas vendors. Between the performances, the face painting, and the market stalls, there's plenty to wander through over the course of the three hours.

Admission is free, though donations are appreciated. It runs from 5 PM to 8 PM on Saturday, October 24, at Gateway Plaza at FDR Park, Broad Street and Pattison Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19145.