Old Town is growing its tradition of celebrating the presence of spirits to include honoring the Day of the Dead – Día de los Muertos celebration. Officially observed on November 1 and 2, the Day of the Dead pays homage to the presence of the dead among the living and is a colorful tribute to California’s 
own Mexican heritage. Visitors to Old Town’s Day of the Dead will experience this practice by touring the numerous altars set up at museums, restaurants and other businesses.
Día de los Muertos is a celebration of life and death that speaks to everyone who has lost somebody. The celebration is not a mournful one, neither ghoulish nor morose; the holiday is spent in celebration with friends and family, as a time to offer hospitality to the spirits, and to honor and remember loved ones. More than 25 local businesses, museums and community organizations will create the traditional Mexican altars and ofrendas (offerings to the dead). Restaurants will offer a variety of specialties and specialty drinks. The indoor altars will be up for viewing by 11am on Tuesday, November 1 and Wednesday, November 2. Music, traditional poetry readings and more will accompany the celebration.
On November 1 at 8pm, the public is invited to join a candlelight procession from the Whaley House Museum to El Campo Santo Cemetery. There, among the gravesites of Old Town’s earliest families, they may leave offerings of their own in honor of their lost loved ones.
