From the era of intimate community celebrations in East Los Angeles in the early 1970s to today's massive festivals in 2024, celebrating Day of the Dead in Los Angeles has become a tradition that Angelenos look forward to all year.
Flower vendors, bakers, and store owners across L.A. prepare for weeks at a time, ensuring they have the best cempasúchils flowers, sugar skulls, and pan de muerto for your ofrendas. On the weekends leading up to the main celebration, you can hear the city light up with music, community gatherings, and colorful community altars.
L.A. TACO has put together this annual event guide for more than a decade so our readers looking to celebrate their loved ones can experience what has become a rich tradition centered in the community.
However you celebrate, know there's no wrong way to do it as long as you honor and remember your ancestors and loved ones.
As artist and renowned altarista Ofelia Esparza shares, we all experience three deaths in our lives. The first is the day we take our last breath. The second is when we are buried, never to be seen again. The third and the worst death anyone can go through is when we are forgotten.