Hundreds took to the streets of San Jose and Oakland this weekend to celebrate Día de los Muertos.
Avenida de Altares (Avenue of the Altars), took place at the Mexican Heritage Plaza in San Jose. Avenida de Altares is an immersive experience with a curated altar walk spanning from the intersection of Alum Rock Avenue and King Road to the entrance of Highway 101, culminating inside the plaza grounds.
After the walk, community members were invited into La Plaza for a wide variety of activities including Day of the Dead-themed face painting, private tarot readings, local artisans and makers selling original creations, a costume contest and a picturesque cemetery installation.
For 30 years, the Oakland Día de los Muertos Festival has welcomed tens of thousands of visitors to the vibrant, culturally-rich Fruitvale neighborhood for a free, outdoor family-friendly celebration honoring the Mexican traditions of Día de los Muertos.
Festival attendees enjoyed world-class live music, family-friendly games, rides and activities, traditional Latin American artisans and the breathtaking altars created by community members paying homage to their deceased ancestors.
This year’s festival celebrates 30 years of tradition with the powerful theme “Aquí estamos y no nos vamos” — a declaration of resilience, unity and cultural pride that continues to define the Fruitvale community.
Lauren Valenzuela, of San Jose, wears a Catrina makeup and custome during the Day of the Dead celebration at the Mexican Heritage Plaza in San Jose, Calif., on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025. The event included altar displays along Avenida de Altares on Alum Rock Avenue and at La Plaza, where traditional Mexican folklore dances, live music, arts and crafts, lucha libre, and a Catrina costume contest entertained visitors. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) Los Lupeños dancers perform during the Day of the Dead celebration on Alum Rock Avenue near the Mexican Heritage Plaza where they also perfomed in San Jose, Calif., on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025. The event included altar displays along Avenida de Altares on Alum Rock Avenue and at La Plaza, where traditional Mexican folklore dances, live music, arts and crafts, lucha libre, and a Catrina costume contest entertained visitors. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) Alma Cruz, of Sunnyvale, with a Catrina makeup, looks on during the Day of the Dead celebration at the Mexican Heritage Plaza in San Jose, Calif., on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025. The event included altar displays along Avenida de Altares on Alum Rock Avenue and at La Plaza, where traditional Mexican folklore dances, live music, arts and crafts, lucha libre, and a Catrina costume contest entertained visitors. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) A Day of the Dead mural faces spectators watching Los Lupeños dancers perform during the Day of the Dead celebration on Alum Rock Avenue near the Mexican Heritage Plaza in San Jose, Calif., on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025. The event included altar displays on Alum Rock Avenue and at La Plaza with traditional Mexican folkloric dances, live music, arts and crafts, lucha libre, and a Catrina costume contest entertained visitors. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) Luchadores, or Mexican wrestlers, perform in a lucha libre match during the Day of the Dead celebration at the Mexican Heritage Plaza in San Jose, Calif., on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025. The event included altar displays along Avenida de Altares on Alum Rock Avenue and at La Plaza, where traditional Mexican folklore dances, live music, arts and crafts, lucha libre, and a Catrina costume contest entertained visitors. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) Visitors take part during the Day of the Dead celebration at the Mexican Heritage Plaza in San Jose, Calif., on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025. The event included altar displays along Avenida de Altares on Alum Rock Avenue and at La Plaza, where traditional Mexican folklore dances, live music, arts and crafts, lucha libre, and a Catrina costume contest entertained visitors. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) Los Lupeños dancers perform during the Day of the Dead celebration on Alum Rock Avenue near the Mexican Heritage Plaza where they also perfomed in San Jose, Calif., on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025. The event included altar displays along Avenida de Altares on Alum Rock Avenue and at La Plaza, where traditional Mexican folklore dances, live music, arts and crafts, lucha libre, and a Catrina costume contest entertained visitors. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) Los Lupeños dancers perform during the Day of the Dead celebration on Alum Rock Avenue near the Mexican Heritage Plaza where they also perfomed in San Jose, Calif., on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025. The event included altar displays along Avenida de Altares on Alum Rock Avenue and at La Plaza, where traditional Mexican folklore dances, live music, arts and crafts, lucha libre, and a Catrina costume contest entertained visitors. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) Bloco Do Sol, a Brazilian band and dancers, perform during the Day of the Dead celebration on Alum Rock Avenue near the Mexican Heritage Plaza, where they also performed in San Jose, Calif., on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025. The event included altar displays along Avenida de Altares on Alum Rock Avenue and at La Plaza, where traditional Mexican folklore dances, live music, arts and crafts, lucha libre, and a Catrina costume contest entertained visitors. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) Visitors watch Los Lupeños dancers perform during the Day of the Dead celebration on Alum Rock Avenue near the Mexican Heritage Plaza where they also perfomed in San Jose, Calif., on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025. The event included altar displays on Alum Rock Avenue and at La Plaza with traditional Mexican folkloric dances, live music, arts and crafts, lucha libre, and a Catrina costume contest entertained visitors. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) DJ Sizzle Fantastic mixes Latin and other genres of music during the Day of the Dead celebration on Alum Rock Avenue near the Mexican Heritage Plaza in San Jose, Calif., on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025. The event included altar displays along Avenida de Altares on Alum Rock Avenue and at La Plaza, where traditional Mexican folklore dances, live music, arts and crafts, lucha libre, and a Catrina costume contest entertained visitors. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) Several altars were displayed during the Avenue of the Altars to celebrate Day of the Dead on Alum Rock Avenue and at the Mexican Heritage Plaza in San Jose, Calif., on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025. The celebration also included traditional Mexican folkloric dances, live music, arts and crafts, lucha libre, and a Catrina costume contest that entertained visitors. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) Rhobertino Regalado, of Redwood City, crosses Alum Rock Avenue as he takes part in the Day of the Dead celebration in San Jose, Calif., on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025. The event included altar displays along Avenida de Altares on Alum Rock Avenue and at La Plaza, where traditional Mexican folklore dances, live music, arts and crafts, lucha libre, and a Catrina costume contest entertained visitors. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) Visitors observe a cemetery installation during the Day of the Dead celebration at the Mexican Heritage Plaza in San Jose, Calif., on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025. The event included altar displays along Avenida de Altares on Alum Rock Avenue and at La Plaza, where traditional Mexican folklore dances, live music, arts and crafts, lucha libre, and a Catrina costume contest entertained visitors. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group) Athena Marbury, of San Francisco, carefully paints her face during the 30th annual Dia de los Muertos Festival in Oakland, Calif., on Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group) Justin Cope, of Fairfield, walks into a large ofrenda during the 30th annual Dia de los Muertos Festival in Oakland, Calif., on Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group) Papel picado, a decorative tissue paper banner, decorates an ofrenda during the 30th annual Dia de los Muertos Festival in Oakland, Calif., on Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group) Visitors stop to admire ofrendas on display during the 30th annual Dia de los Muertos Festival in Oakland, Calif., on Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group) An ofrenda is displayed during the 30th annual Dia de los Muertos Festival in Oakland, Calif., on Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
