Redwood City’s Día de los Muertos Celebration + Altars (2022)

Submitted by the Event Organizer

Casa Círculo Cultural and the San Mateo County History Museum, in partnership with Friends of the Redwood City Library and collaboration with the Redwood City Parks & Arts Foundation, are proud to bring to Redwood City a Día de los Muertos Celebration.

Sunday, November 6th from 3:40 pm to 8:00 pm.

The Day of the Dead is celebrated in Mexico on November 1st and 2nd. On these days, Mexican families go to the cemetery, visit the graves of their relatives, clean and maybe paint the grave, put flowers (marigold or wonders) and light candles.

While Mexican American communities have celebrated the Day of the Dead for hundreds of years in the United States with personal, often religious, ceremonies, there has been an evolution in how the holiday is celebrated today.

The holiday as we see it today that has transformed into a true blend of cultures and voices to create a holiday that is as unique and powerful as the Chicanx community itself.

While many Mexican American families still celebrate the holiday with personal and sometimes religious traditions, public celebration hosted by Casa Circulo Cultural have become Redwood City’s celebrations of diversity and culture.

Redwood City Courthouse Square is transformed into a play, where musicians, dancers, artists, family altars are on display; sugar skulls, marigolds and more will decorate the Square and bringing it to life. Catrinas will be walking around the plaza greeting visitors, and a procession will walk through downtown Redwood City. Papel picado adorns the Food Court area with an array of traditional foods and the vendor booths that line the streets.

Inside of the San Mateo County History Museum (4-8p) is a FREE exhibition of altars, as well as free arts and crafts for kids where they can create traditional art and enjoy hands on activities.

• The museum will be open with free admission from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m on Sunday, November 6 and host free children’s crafts in the Rotunda. Entrance to the crafts and general admission will be through the main entrance on Broadway.
• The Festival of the Altars will be in Courtroom A and the Atkinson Room. There will be a special entrance on the Middlefield Road side of the History Museum for those wishing to view the altars.
• Altars will remain on display through Friday, November 11, and there will be free admission on Friday, November 11.

Disclaimer: Please double check event information with the event organizer as events can be canceled, details can change after they are added to our calendar, and errors do occur.