Dia de los Muertos 2022: Here's where to celebrate the Day of the Dead in metro Phoenix
Dia de los Muertos 2022 is almost here. This Mexican holiday, observed Nov. 1-2, is a joyful celebration of the lives of family and friends who have passed away. Its roots go back some some 3,000 years.
Traditions like traveling to burial grounds, dancing, making ofrendas (altars) cooking food, decorating graves and hosting gatherings are among the many ways people honor the Day of the Dead.
If you want to learn more about this holiday or celebrate with others there are plenty of celebrations and gatherings throughout metro Phoenix.
Here's a guide to Dia de los Muertos 2022 events in the Valley.
More: Your guide to the best cultural festivals happening this fall in metro Phoenix
Mesa: Dia de los Muertos
Mesa Arts Center celebrates Dia de los Muertos with performances, art and food vendors. Ofrendas made by families, artists and community organizations will be on view at the altar competition. Food vendors will include Arizona Roasted Corn, Paletas Betty, Taqueria Las Palmas, Sonora Sam Hot Dogs, Don Fito's Taqueria, Olanie's Caribbean Food, Poky's Cocina and Amigos AZ Aguas Frescas.
Phoenix: Dia de los Muertos at Desert Botanical Garden
The two-day festival will be filled with Mexican music, dance and storytelling. There will be a community altar by artist Rufina Ruiz López. From 5 to 6 p.m. each day, guests are invited to join the performers in a procession through the garden to honor passed loved ones.
Details: Noon-8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 29; noon-6 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 30. Desert Botanical Garden, 1201 N. Galvin Parkway, Phoenix. $29.96, $16.95 for ages 3-17, free for age 2 and younger. https://dbg.org.
Sugar skulls: Here's how to make these iconic Dia de los Muertos symbols
Surprise: Ofrenda, a Dia de los Muertos Celebration
Celebrate Dia de los Muertos with Ballet Folklórico de Los Ángeles and Mariachi Garibaldi de Jaime Cuéllar. The event will pay tribute to traditional music and dances, including “La Bruja” from Veracruz and “Retablo Purépecha” from Michoacán, along with music from the Disney movie "Coco." There also will be an homage to Mexican artists Juan Gabriel, Selena, Pedro Infante and José Alfredo Jiménez.
Details: 8-9:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 29. Vista Center for the Arts,15660 N. Parkview Place, Surprise. $40-$60. https://www.thevistaaz.com.
More: Here's where to find pan de muerto in metro Phoenix
Phoenix: Mikiztli Festival
The 11th annual Mikiztli festival will be held at Steele Indian School Park in Phoenix and will feature a community altar, music, dance, masked performances, art activities and food. Most notably there will also be ancient ceremonial practices, like the Danza Mexica which is a form of ancestral worship and ode to what the Aztecs described as the four sacred directions north, south, east and west. There will also be a market where artists will sell their work.
Details: 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 30. Steele Indian School Park, 300 E. Indian School Road, Phoenix. Free. http://diadelosmuertosphx.com/#top.
More: Phoenix's Mikiztli festival honors the Indigenous origins of Día de los Muertos
Tempe: Noche para los Niños
Visit the Arizona Heritage Center at Papago Park for live music, food, drinks, a photography display from Kids in Focus, a silent art auction and raffle. Kids in Focus is a Phoenix nonprofit that mentors at-risk youths through a variety of programs. Proceeds from this event will fund the group's photography programs. Dress code is festive black cocktail attire with splashes of color in keeping with the Day of the Dead theme. "If inspired, come with your face painted in sugar skull tradition!," organizers say.
Details: 6-10 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 10. Arizona Heritage Center, 1300 N. College Ave., Tempe. $200 per person. https://kidsinfocus.org.
You can connect with Arizona Republic Culture and Outdoors Reporter Shanti Lerner through email at shanti.lerner@gannett.com or you can also follow her on Twitter.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Day of the Dead 2022: Celebrations and festivals in Phoenix
