Saturday, October 26, 2023
Grand Procession 12:00pm-1:00pm
Festival 12:00pm-6:00pm
100-200 Blocks East and West 4th St. Austin, TX 78701
FREE ADMISSION!
Mexic-Arte Museum’s 36th Annual Viva La Vida Festival & Parade Presented by Austin Convention Center, is Austin’s largest running Día de los Muertos festival-to-date. The festival will feature a Grand Procession, Mariposa Plaza with hands-on art activities, traditional foods, Muertos Mercado, a low-rider exhibition, live music and performances throughout the day..
ABOUT DIA DE LOS MUERTOS
Day of the Dead is an important Latin American tradition that takes place on November 1st and 2nd. It is a time when friends and family gather to honor and remember loved ones – not through mourning, but through celebration! The origins of the holiday date back to the pre-Columbian era when death was viewed as a transformation or continuation of life. This storied belief evolved into the modern tradition of commemorating loved ones with altars decorated with sugar skulls, flowers, photographs, favorite foods and memorabilia of the deceased. Family and friends share stories and memories, sing songs, and play music. In Austin, Mexic-Arte Museum has continued some of these traditions, transformed others, and created new expressions to produce today’s Viva La Vida Festival!
The Grand Procession brings together a vibrant and varied mix of the traditional, contemporary, and Austin “weird”. The Procession – including costumes, props, live music, dancers, and floats – marches down historic 6th Street and culminates at E. 4th Street and Congress Avenue, marking the transition from the afternoon to the exciting evening portion of the street festival.