“Viento,” the Caifanes song, plays as a mild, downtown wind blows the papel picado hanging above Dia de los Muertos altars at Gloria Molina Grand Park. There’s a sizable crowd milling about on Sunday afternoon, investigating the details of the large, often elaborately decorated altars, or ofrendas, that local artists and community groups have made for the exhibition, which runs through November 2.
There are a lot of Dia de los Muertos events happening in Los Angeles between now and next weekend (check L.A. Taco for a comprehensive list). I try to always check out the ones at Grand Park and Olvera Street, which are walking distance from each other.
Gloria Molina Grand Park is a multi-level park that rises uphill between City Hall and the Music Center. When the Dodgers won the World Series last year, the victory parade started here. More recently, the No Kings rally happened here. It’s where L.A. gets together to protest and to party. Dia de los Muertos here has elements of both. There was an opening event on Saturday and there will be a closing celebration next Sunday with live music. This year’s exhibition comes together with the theme, “Let Freedom Ring: Honoring Our Immigrant Ancestors,” and the contributors don’t shy away from addressing the federal government’s anti-immigration campaign.
The centerpiece of Grand Park’s Dia de los Muertos exhibition is a large community altar with a hand and torch resembling that of the Statue of Liberty rising from the center. Butterflies wrap around the sculpture. Sunflowers and marigolds bloom around its base. On the tiers of the altar, there are photos of loved ones and people can leave notecards with names and messages.
Danza Divina de Los Angeles made an ofrenda called Death of the American Dream. It’s partially surrounded by a chainlink fence with “Keep I.C.E. Out” posters visible through the fence. The other side of the posters, visible when you’re looking directly at the altar, address historic and contemporary struggles and honors indigenous activists Toypurina and Haunani-Kay Trask, as well as Jakelin Caal and Felipe Gomez Alonzo, two children who died while in U.S. Border Patrol custody during Trump’s first term. The installation centers around a wood sculpture resembling a fruit cart and surrounded by sculptures of various fruits, notably watermelon, a couple of which appear in a crate that reads, “We are humans, not just profit.” On the side, paper flowers pop out of a Home Depot bucket, a reference to the amount of I.C.E. raids that have happened in the chain’s parking lots.
One reason why I like walking through the Dia de los Muertos exhibitions is because you get a really good idea of what’s on people’s minds in L.A. in any given year. Here, with the many references to I.C.E., you can get an idea of the emotional toll that the raids have taken on the city. And with the scattered watermelons throughout the exhibition, you know that Gaza isn’t far from L.A.’s mind either.
There’s a participatory element for Dia de los Muertos too. The altar for Pets That Have Crossed Over the Rainbow Bridge, from German Shepard Rescue of OC, is always very popular. Today, there’s a constant flow of people adding names to the altar.
For a moment, I’m going assume that people reading this aren’t super familiar with downtown Los Angeles. If you’re going to visit Grand Park and Olvera Street, I don’t recommend driving, especially this week. There is parking, both at the Music Center and Olvera Street, but it’s pretty limited and between Halloween events and the World Series, you can expect both traffic and parking to suck. Public transportation around here, though, is plentiful. There’s a Metro B/D stop right outside of Grand Park and an A/E stop up by the Music Center. Plus, multiple bus lines reach the park, so use the Transit app to find the best route for you. The walk from Grand Park to Olvera Street is fairly easy. Head towards City Hall and then walk along Main or Spring.
Olvera Street was jumping on Sunday afternoon. A large crowd had gathered in the plaza, which is where most of the altars are on display. There’s a large community altar where people can add their loved ones. Of the ofrendas that line the plaza, some are made to honor families or individuals. Others celebrate people with shared interests, like one that memorialized those in the cycling community. Another altar paid tribute to deceased authors and one honored recently departed celebrities, from Jane Goodall to Ozzy Osbourne. I stopped by in the late afternoon, when the Xipe Totec Aztec Dancers were performing. Over the weekend, there was entertainment and activities, like face painting, throughout the afternoon, but, for the week, there are nightly performances of Danza la Muerte at 6 p.m., followed by a procession. Check Olvera Street’s Instagram account for more programming updates.
The street itself was bustling when I was there, filled with shoppers and diners, many of whom were wearing the floral headpieces that many of the vendors sold. The Olvera Street Merchants altar is here, right by the wishing well. There’s also a small, nearly hidden, gallery called El Tranquilo that has a Dia de los Muertos exhibition, Siempre Vivas en Mi Corazon. It’s a group show that includes paintings and artist-made altars. There’s a section of mini altars made by students from Hollenbeck Middle School too. Maybe bring tissue if you’re inclined to tear up when you see pet altars.
Again, for those who aren’t all that familiar with downtown L.A., Olvera Street is right across Alameda from Union Station, which is very convenient if you took the Metrolink downtown. If you’re riding Metro, you can catch the A, B and D trains here. The closest E train is in Little Tokyo and it’s a fairly short walk from Olvera Street.
Dia de los Muertos altars are on view at both Gloria Molina Grand Park and Olvera Street through November 2, 2025.
Liz O. is an L.A.-based writer and DJ. Read her recently published work and check out her upcoming gigs or listen to the latest Beatique Mix. Follow on Instagram or Bluesky for more updates.
Keep Reading:
Brenton Wood, Thee Midniters and More Featured in Museum Exhibition “A Great Day in East L.A.”
When the Sound of L.A. Is Dodgers Baseball
Halloween Shopping Near Downtown L.A.? Head to the Piñata District
Why I Went to the No Kings Rally in Downtown Los Angeles, 10/18/25