SAN ANTONIO – MuertosFest is coming back to downtown San Antonio for its 12th year.
The free festival will be at Hemisfair and Civic Park, and is expected to have more than 100,000 attendees over two days. The event is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Oct. 26, and noon to 9 p.m. on Oct. 27 at Hemisfair.
If you can’t make it to the event or want to watch a recap of all the fun, KSAT 12 will air a two-hour special about Muertos Fest from 7-9 p.m. on Oct. 30.
San Antonio is host to the largest Dia de los Muertos event in Texas, and Muertos Fest was voted as one of the top 10 festivals in the country by USA Today.
During a press conference on Wednesday, organizers released more details about the event, including the music lineup.
The festival will feature 50 performances from bands, poets and dancers on five stages. Headliners include Girl In A Coma, Piñata Protest and Jesse Borrego.
There will also be original artwork, dancing, a drum and puppet procession, live poetry, and 80 altars honoring the dead.
Erika Prosper, who is on the host committee for the festival and wife to Mayor Ron Nirenberg, said it’s important for San Antonio to be a city that honors past and future generations and traditions.
“What we are doing here with Dia de los Muertos is as much about not just remembering people and their impact but about remembering the generations of people and who they really were to us,” Prosper said.
The artistic director of the event, Jim Mendiola, said he believes San Antonio celebrates the holiday in a unique way.
“It has since transformed across the border. It’s celebrated in the United States where its almost an American holiday in itself. I like to argue that the way it’s celebrated here in South Texas is distinct in San Antonio,” Mendiola said.
The star of the event will be the 80 altars honoring those who have passed away.
Día de Los Muertos is a time to honor and celebrate loved ones who have passed away.
Muertos Fest, San Antonio’s largest free Día de Los Muertos festival, brings this beloved tradition to downtown San Antonio every year.
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