SAN ANTONIO — San Antonio is take advantage of the newly opened Civic Park to provide a grander, more accessible experience at the annual Muertos Fest, the city's official celebration of Día de Los Muertos, Day of the Dead.
It will be celebrated from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Oct. 28 and from noon to 9 p.m. on Oct. 29.
Organizers said Wednesday morning that Muertos Fest welcomed more than 100,000 visitors in 2022. This year's free event will feature more than 50 musical performances – headlined by Los Angeles group Ozomatli – vendors, and more tributes to loved ones and community members who have passed.
"We kept our core element, the alters – the heart and soul of our event – but we have more of them," said Jim Mendiola, executive director of Muertos Fest. "We have a bigger footprint, we’re going to have a bigger stage and our procession is going to be bigger this year.”
The bigger procession will pay special tribute to believe local cultural institutions like Belle Ortiz, Esther Guajardo and Pedro Rodriguez, former executive director of the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center.
The seven-acre Civic Park, which opened in September, will provide far more space than areas like Hemisfair and La Villita did in years past. Civic Park features newly curated green spaces, self-sufficient springs and an 825-foot walkway dubbed the Promenade.
In 2019, National Geographic named Muertos Fest one of the best fall festivals in the United States, according to the city's website.
“We work towards it all year long," said Diana Garcia, co-owner of Casa Mio Designs and a Muertos Fest partner along with her husband, Adrian. "Just to be able to see that the event is getting bigger and that even people outside are coming in and learning about our traditions, it’s amazing.”
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