Día de los Muertos Festival
Spirits Connect
Mesa Arts Center is pleased to celebrate Día de los Muertos with an annual event created in collaboration with the community. Día de los Muertos is a celebration of Latin American art and culture related to the Mexican holiday, Day of the Dead. The annual free event offers a variety of features, performances and more in celebration of the memories of the deceased.
Los espíritus se entrelazarán durante la celebración anual del Día de los Muertos en el Mesa Arts Center. Los visitantes se han deleitado cada año con maravillosos espectáculos en vivo por parte de destacados artistas.
Oct. 25 - 26, 2025
SAT: 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
SUN: 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Mesa Arts Center
FREE
Thank you for your interest in participating in the 2025 Día de los Muertos Altar Contest! This invitation is open to the general public until Fri, Oct 10 at 5:00 PM (or until spaces are filled).
Due to limited space, a maximum of 20 altar applications will be accepted.
If you’re interested in becoming a sponsor of our annual Día de los Muertos Festival, please contact Britt Powell at britt.powell@mesaz.gov.
Relaxed Hour is a welcoming, inclusive and more comfortable Dia de los Muertos Festival experience with reduced sensory stimuli and opportunities for anyone who may benefit from participation within a calmer environment in the hour before the official event start time.
Relaxed Hour features:
- Fewer people and crowds
- Less amplified sound and reduced lighting
- Art exhibits and immersive experience at Mesa Contemporary Arts Museum
- Sensory Rooms and supports
- Meet and greet w/ festival performers
- Face painting
- Self-guided tour of altars
- Hands-on art-making activities led by specialist artists with expertise in working with youth and adults with varying disabilities.
Virginia's vision and dedication left a lasting impact on our community, particularly through her creation of the first community altar for our Día de los Muertos festival. To honor her, Mesa Arts Center will commission an original art piece as a permanent part of the annual community altar and establish the Virginia Aguero Día de los Muertos Fund to ensure fair compensation for the artists who create the altar. Virginia's legacy will live on in the heart of the festival, and we are proud to honor her in this way.
To support future community artists, donate to the Maria Virginia Rascon Peralta-Aguero Fund. Thank you in advance for your support!
Mesa Arts Center Foundation is a 501.c.3 organization whose mission is to support Mesa Arts Center’s arts education and outreach programs. While Mesa Arts Center is owned and operated by the City of Mesa, philanthropy makes it possible for thousands of young children to experience the arts, no matter the economic or other barriers.
