Skulls and other decorations for dia de los muertos
On Mission Street. Photo by Mike Schuller.

Highlights of Mission District and citywide celebrations include:

Oct. 27, 6 p.m., Pier 15:The Exploratorium’s “After Dark: Death and Life” exhibition probes global autumnal traditions like Día de Muertos and Halloween, and their relationship to death and “the role it plays in the cycle of life.”

Oct. 27, 7 p.m., 3117 16th St.:The Roxie Theater’s SpookFest features screenings of 13 chilling short films. Costumes encouraged! 

Oct. 28 to Nov. 18, various events, 2868 Mission St.: The Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts is hosting several celebrations, including a VIP dinner, matinee concert, spoken word night, mole and cakes contest, and community celebration. More information here.

Oct. 29, 4 p.m., 745 Treat Ave.: For a low-key Mission District Halloween, stop by Pumpkin Carving at the Mission Arts Center. 

Oct. 31, 3 p.m., 2250 Mission St.: Head to Mission: Comics and Art for free comics for trick-or-treating kids.

Nov. 2, 2 to 11 p.m., Potrero del Sol Park: 30th annual Festival of Altars. Five community altars  will be created by Mission District artists and residents.

Nov. 2, 6 p.m., 22nd and Bryant Steets: The 41st annual Mission District Day of the Dead Ritual Procession. The procession is a grassroots project of El Colectivo del Rescate Cultural, and is created by and for Mission District residents, without external corporate, state, or city funding sources.

41st Annual Day of the Dead Ritual Procession.

Nov. 5, 2 p.m., Davies Symphony Hall, 201 Van Ness Ave.: The San Francisco Symphony presents its annual Día de Los Muertos concert, featuring an Aztec neon serpent procession, the symphony’s rendition of Mexican composer Silvestre Revueltas’ “Sensemayá,” and an ensemble of pre-Hispanic instruments. Alongside the concert, several community artists and family-friendly lobby activities, as well as a reception and dinner, will take place on Saturday, Oct. 29. Tickets range from $22.50 to $110.

Explore more Día de Muertos and Halloween events on the map below. Feliz Día de Muertos, and have a wonderfully spooky week!

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INTERN DATA REPORTER. Chuqin has two degrees in data journalism and she is passionate about making data more accessible to readers. Before arriving in the Mission, she covered small business and migratory birds in New York City while learning to code and design at Columbia's Graduate School of Journalism. She loves coastal cities, including SF and her hometown Ningbo.

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  2. Thanks for publishing the information about the procession on 11/2! I looked and couldn’t find information about this anywhere else. I’m so glad it’s happening again this year. 🙂

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