How to Celebrate Day of the Dead in Los Angeles

Los Angeles, with its large Chicano community, celebrates the Day of the Dead with the same fervor as towns in Mexico and Latin America. While the spirit remains the same, you'll find more modern day icons mixed with the traditional ones on altars and in most art.

Instructions

Celebrate the Day of the Dead in Los Angeles

1. Celebrate on the weekend at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery. This over-the-top festival usually takes place the weekend before Halloween and the Day of the Dead. International musical acts perform amidst the heavily decorated graves of Hollywood's departed stars.

2. Head downtown for the Festival de la Gente, which is the largest Day of the Dead street fair in Los Angeles, featuring live music and art displays. You'll know you're in the right spot by the giant paper mache puppets spanning the sixth Street Bridge. This festival usually takes place the weekend before Day of the Dead.

3. Find a bit more authenticity at the Olvera Street Day of the Dead Celebration. As the birthplace of Los Angeles, Olvera Street, also known as El Pueblo Historic Monument, serves as the city's old town district. Day of the Dead festivities usually run through the weekends before and after the actual holiday.

4. Peruse the folk art in Pasadena at one of Los Angeles's longest running Day of the Dead celebration at the Folk Tree. One of the most prominent figures in Day of the Dead folk art, Joel Garcia, regularly displays large paper mache figures during the holiday.

5. Check local museums, old town districts and Hollywood hangouts for unique ways to celebrate the Day of the Dead. You'll usually find concerts ranging from punk to world music, art shows, street fairs and political demonstrations during the Day of the Dead holiday in Los Angeles.

6. Make your own sugar skulls, which are key decorations of the Day of the Dead holiday in both Mexico and Los Angeles. Around the Day of the Dead holiday, you'll find many sugar skull workshops and decorating parties. If you don't want to venture out, the mold can easily be ordered online, so you can make your skulls at home.

Tips & Warnings

• Day of the Dead folk art purchased in Los Angeles will cost more than in Mexico. If you have the time, travel down to the flea markets in San Ysidro (in San Diego) or the border shops in Tijuana for better prices.