‘I Just Went to the Biggest Día de Los Muertos Celebration in America and This Is What Happened’

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Day of the Dead—Día de Los Muertos in Spanish—is a holiday that I’ve known about for nearly my whole life. It’s a major holiday for those in Mexico and of Mexican descent where we honor those in our lives who’ve passed away and transitioned to the next phase in life: death.

Many places in America have impressive Day of the Dead celebrations because of the large Mexican populations in their areas; per the Pew Research Center, as of 2021, there were 37.2 million citizens of Mexican descent in America. So it’s no surprise that San Antonio, Texas—with 66% of the population having Mexican ancestry—has the largest Day of the Dead celebration in America. Parade was invited to San Antonio this year and the city's celebration blew my mind.

With the largest concentration of the Mexican population in the U.S. being in California, Texas, Arizona, Illinois and Colorado, it makes sense that some of the largest Día de Los Muertos festivals and celebrations are in these states. For me, despite both sides of my family having Mexican ancestry, we didn’t consistently do a lot for the holiday growing up. But as I got older, I wanted to connect more with my roots and ancestors, so I found myself really diving into my Mexican heritage, which has included making an ofrenda in my home every Día de Los Muertos for the last seven years or so.

No surprise here: Attending San Antonio’s Muertos Fest and being in their Day of the Dead river parade was like a dream come true. So, here’s what it was like being in San Antonio, Texas for the largest Day of the Dead celebration in the United States.

Related: 15 Best Día de los Muertos Traditions To Help Honor Loved Ones

Where Is the Biggest Día de Los Muertos Celebration in America? Some of the largest Día de Los Muertos celebrations in America happen in Los Angeles, Chicago, New York and more. But the actual biggest Day of the Dead celebration in America is in Texas: Día de Los Muertos San Antonio style.

San Antonio's River Walk takes on a new life during this time of year, with papel picado all around and large, neon-colored alebrijes scattered on the sides. These are part of San Antonio’s Día De Los Muertos Tradition Trail that goes throughout downtown and leads you to these 5-foot tall alebrijes and community ofrendas (one was even at the hotel I stayed at, Omni La Mansion del Rio).

Courtesy Alani Vargas

" data-src="https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/QvPwsXd.UGNBYMBA1ml2_Q--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTEyODA-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/aol_parade_744/82febad430d0e9cf1cec3004e31888df"/>Ofrenda outside La Mansion del Rio hotel in San Antonio, TX. Courtesy Alani Vargas

In addition to the general vibe and decor throughout the city, San Antonio also has a large Day of the Dead river parade. Every year, floats or barges travel around the downtown River Walk area of the San Antonio River and make a special stop in front of the Arneson River Theatre; the River Walk is 15 miles total and the part of the River Walk that winds through downtown San Antonio is 5 miles.

This year was the 6th annual parade and there were 25 floats. I was lucky enough to be on the third float, sponsored by La Gloria—a restaurant chain created by Chef Johny Hernandez—and was covered in blue cherubs and calaveras (skulls).

Courtesy Alani Vargas

" data-src="https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/MjyJz.GCKl_oI5NPiK9jdQ--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTEyODA-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/aol_parade_744/53d3d982c0bcab187c40b152beabb73a"/>The tallest Catrina statue in America. Courtesy Alani Vargas

There’s also Muertos Fest, which celebrated its 12th year in 2024 and is a two-day festival that takes place at Hemisfair, a park in San Antonio (more on that later). Other parts of the city have their own little events and displays too.

La Villita, a neighborhood across the street from Hemisfair, has the tallest Catrina statue in America. There's also the San Antonio Modern Art Museum, which is hosting a special exhibit called “Amalia Mesa-Bains: Archaeology of Memory” until January 12, 2025. This exhibit shows off the decades-long art project from Chicana artist and cultural critic Amalia Mesa-Bains that includes her own form of ofrendas.

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What It Was Like To Be in San Antonio’s Día de Los Muertos River Parade Courtesy Alani Vargas

" data-src="https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/SwRobpMGvQz95eHIkBZvDQ--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD05MzE-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/aol_parade_744/9a2341dfba02568e9bc18896e35384d8"/>A Day of the Dead river parade float Courtesy Alani Vargas

As I mentioned before, I was not only able to witness the very unique river parade in San Antonio, but I was also on a float in their Day of the Dead river parade! All 25 floats were decked out in neon or vibrant colors that glowed on their own but became even more illuminated once it got dark and they started to light up.

The floats felt a little less stable than I had imagined, but they were very pretty to be on and surrounded by. Each float had its own song for the night that played over and over, for the full two hours we were on the float; we got “A Dios Le Pido” by Juanes.

Before even getting on the float, though, we arrived at the headquarters for the parade team (at the Intercontinental Hotel in San Antonio) almost three hours early. This is where we got to pick out our costumes from a range of traditional Mexican dresses, embroidered shirts and skirts along with flower crowns. I then got my makeup done by Angel Spit SFX Makeup, who used airbrush makeup on me for a really professional-looking finish.

Courtesy Alani Vargas

" data-src="https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/kFe5VwsjAlRXZ6erVOl.bQ--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTcwNTtoPTEyNTM-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/aol_parade_744/3375e62e4509c32083ee731871f65094"/> With my costume on and my face looking like a true Catrina, I was ready to wave for two hours! And that’s exactly what I did. This was the first parade I was ever in, and it was a lot slower than I imagined. But it was fun to see the kids get excited by our costumes and wave back. Plus, we got to show off a little at the Arneson River Theatre, where the main performances took place and were broadcast live to local television stations.

Overall, it was a really rewarding experience. It was amazing to connect with the parade-goers who were also decked out in costumes and impressive makeup.

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What Is a Day of the Dead Celebration Like? Back to Muertos Fest, there were a total of 83 ofrendas throughout the festival, which were all made by members of the community. There’s a long application and approval process for the ofrendas, so every one of them was full of intention and love.

There were some altars dedicated to deceased famous people like Carrie Fisher or Matthew Perry, while others honored beloved family members or impactful deaths in their community, like Eva Mireles, a 4th-grade teacher who was murdered in the Uvalde shooting at Robb Elementary in 2022.

Courtesy Alani Vargas

" data-src="https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/XlOo5qNFQYOGBgayCVwIUA--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD03NjI-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/aol_parade_744/119edd4b6fbdafc56006a9ab58600907"/>An Aztec blessing at San Antonio's Muertos Fest Courtesy Alani Vargas

Muertos Fest also had lots of vendors, food and great entertainment across multiple stages. The opening ceremony consisted of a gorgeous Aztec blessing by the group Kalpulli Ayolopaktzin that truly grounded audience members regarding the festival and the Indigenous origins of Day of the Dead.

Much of Day of the Dead still takes from its Indigenous heritage, which is rooted in the traditions of the Aztec, Toltec and Nahua people, among other Indigenous people, per National Geographic. Remembering that in an opening ceremony felt powerful and necessary.

After that, I stayed to watch a little of the all-female mariachi band, Mariachi Las Alteñas, and later caught the last half of Sonora Hechicera, an all-female cumbia band—so, of course, they played some Selena hits.

Then, those of us in the Agave Lounge—a 21+ liquor lounge with Don Julio and Smirnoff drinks aplenty—were surprised by an entertaining and lively performance by the Guadalupe Dance Company. They were dressed as Catrinas and Catrín and embodied a playful spirit as they danced traditional Mexican Folklórico.

Courtesy Alani Vargas

" data-src="https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/NZdtFDwIxGlru34nNEOteQ--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD0xMDgw/https://media.zenfs.com/en/aol_parade_744/a5e0a873379354f850c19ffda61b4a56"/>Dancers from the Guadalupe Dance Company dressed as Catrinas and Catrines Courtesy Alani Vargas

Between Muertos Fest and the San Antonio Day of the Dead parade on the river, Day of the Dead celebrations are exuberant, colorful, lively and so much fun. There is good food and amazing smells (from food, flowers, incense and more). There’s also drinking (and not just alcoholic beverages) and dancing for people of all ages. People get so into it with their makeup and outfits and it’s truly so easy to see the heart and intention put into this Día de Los Muertos celebration.

And I can imagine that goes for all kinds of celebrations across America and Mexico.

Up Next:

Related: What Exactly Are Ofrendas, and How Are They Related to Día de Los Muertos?

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