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SEATTLE, WA— A replica of a Mexican cemetery, community altars glowing with candlelight and a closing procession mark this year’s Día de Muertos Festival Seattle. It returns to Seattle Center, the cultural heart of the Pacific Northwest, under the theme “Reencounter: Past and Present.” The free festival runs 11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 31 and Sunday, Nov. 1 in the Seattle Center Armory Food & Event Hall as part of Seattle Center Festál.
This year’s theme connects the traditions of past generations with the ways families celebrate today. Guests can walk through a replica of a Mexican cemetery, visit community altars honoring loved ones who have passed, and join the procession that closes the festival. Hands-on activities invite all ages to decorate calaveritas de azúcar (sugar skulls), try grabado (printmaking), and take part in face painting at a station one family has organized at the festival for nearly 20 years.
Music and dance fill the stage both days with performances by CeAtl Tonalli, Joyas Mestizas, Correo Aéreo, Pacific Lutheran University /Federal Way High School Mariachi, Grupo Cultural Oaxaqueño with Banda Gozona, Huehca Omeyocan, Amaya Sanz, Los Diablos Raza Unida de Seattle, Comparza de Morelos Chinelos, Danza Monarcas, and Bailadores de Bronce. Vendors including Bella Lulli, Friduchis, Princesa Azteca, TOT Thinking of Them, Un Pedacito de Mi Tierra, and Todo en Dulce round out the weekend with handmade goods and treats.
Presented by the Día de Muertos Festival Seattle Committee, the celebration began in 1998 when volunteers organized the first Day of the Dead gathering in South Park and has called Seattle Center home since 2003. With roots that predate the arrival of the Spanish in the Americas, Día de Muertos is a time to celebrate, not to mourn. It is also a chance to heal together, and resources will be available on site for anyone carrying grief.
“There is something at the festival for all ages and every person can find a connection regardless of their background,” said Matt Hooks, a member of the festival committee.
“For me, Día de Muertos is more than a tradition. It is a space where memory, culture, and community come together,” said Barbara Rodriguez, festival producer. “Through this celebration, we honor where we come from, while creating a stronger sense of identity for the generations that follow.”
Through Seattle Center Festál, the wider public is invited to step inside each community’s traditions, learning and celebrating side by side in a spirit of understanding and respect. Across its history, Festál has become a cornerstone of Seattle Center’s cultural programming, a place where communities share their histories, customs, and present-day expressions in their own voices.
About the Día de Muertos Festival Seattle Committee
Día de Muertos Festival Seattle has honored loved ones and shared Mexican traditions in the Pacific Northwest since 1998. Led by the Día de Muertos Festival Seattle Committee since 2013, the festival brings generations together through ofrendas, music, dance, art, and food as part of Seattle Center Festál. Learn more at DiaDeMuertosSeattle.org.
Information on the festival is available at SeattleCenter.com and DiaDeMuertosSeattle.org.
About Seattle Center Festál
Seattle Center Festál is a unique public program series of 25 free cultural festivals, each offering its own celebration of heritage and identity.
These community-produced events provide a range of engaging programs and activities to cultivate a deeper understanding of our region’s diversity through immersive performances, food, arts, and educational programming. Collectively, the festivals welcome approximately 400,000 visits annually, generate an estimated $30 million in economic activity, support more than 250 jobs, and engage thousands of volunteers, artists, and small business vendors.
Seattle Center Festál is presented in partnership between Seattle Center and 25 community-based organizations, with support from the City of Seattle, Seattle Center Foundation, and 4Culture's Sustained Support and Free/Reduced Access programs. Additional support for Festál 2026 is provided by 2025 charitable donations from the Snoqualmie Tribe, and ArtsFund's Community Accelerator Grant funded by Allen Family Philanthropies.
About Seattle Center — The Cultural Heart of the Pacific Northwest
Seattle Center is a 74-acre civic, arts, and cultural gathering place in the heart of Seattle and is home to more than 30 partner organizations, including Climate Pledge Arena, KEXP, Museum of Pop Culture (MOPOP), Pacific Northwest Ballet, Seattle Opera, Pacific Science Center, SIFF, and many others.
Anchored by world-class attractions, historic venues, public art, and a dynamic calendar of free and affordable events centered around the iconic International Fountain, Seattle Center brings together arts, culture, sports, and community year-round.
As a department of the City of Seattle and anchor of the Uptown Arts and Cultural District, Seattle Center serves residents from across the Puget Sound region alongside visitors from around the world.
In partnership with Friends of Waterfront Park, Seattle Center provides operations, maintenance, and public safety services for Waterfront Park, while Friends leads park experience, programming, and stewardship along Seattle’s downtown waterfront.
Seattle Center welcomes nearly 12 million visits annually, generating nearly $3.3 billion in total economic activity, supporting 19,400 jobs, and producing more than $37 million in local tax revenue for the City of Seattle.
With the support of its official partners—Alaska Airlines, The Climate Pledge, Pepsi, Symetra, T-Mobile, and WaFd Bank—Seattle Center is the most-visited arts and cultural destination in the Pacific Northwest.
Contact
Jordan Van Beek | jordan@whyforgood.com | 425.638.2293
