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Día de los Muertos DC is proud to present the 10th Annual Día de los Muertos “ANCESTRAL VOICES” Benefit Festival on the Washington Grounds in Washington, DC, to be held on Saturday, November 7, 2026 from 4:00 PM - 12:00 AM.(Location: Washington Monument Grounds, 15th Steet & Constitution Ave, NW, Washington, DC 20024)
EVENT WEBSITE (RSVP & Donate via Eventbrite):
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/dia-de-los-muertos-unidos-benefit-festival-ancestral-voices-tickets-2003975690235
THE FESTIVAL
In a time when the world feels more divided, we are honoring Día de los Muertos, a holiday that brings families and friends together to celebrate the lives of their departed loved ones. This holiday reflects a universal tradition no matter our background, we all share the experience of remembering those who have passed. Our mission is to embrace and share the essence of Día de los Muertos with all communities, as it teaches that, in death, we are all the same. Through our presence in the DC Metropolitan Area, we continue to celebrate this profound connection.
Taking place just days before Election Day, the festival’s location at the National Mall is deeply significant. This is more than a celebration, it’s a powerful expression of our First Amendment rights, demonstrating that our voices matter. We encourage everyone to make their voices heard, not only through cultural expression but by exercising the right to vote, reinforcing that civic engagement is an extension of the unity and solidarity this festival represents.
The event at the National Mall will take participants on a journey from the traditional roots of this meaningful holiday, teaching the significance of the various customs and traditions, expound upon the importance of unpacking grief through the empowerment and support of family and community, show the ways this holiday can be celebrated cross-culturally, highlight various ways that the community members can get involved in giving back, spread awareness of local community resources, encouraging people to get out the vote, and remember the shared understanding that, “...if we are all the same in death, then there is more that unites us in life.”
During the festival, participants will have the opportunity to experience a variety of family-friendly activations which will include an expansive history of Día de Los Muertos, the sounds of mariachi and other local vocal artists, dance performances, face painting, live art, workshops, community resources, fire performances, traditional luchas, a mechanichal bull, a candlelit vigil, customary activities, panel discussions, and more.
EVENT HIGHLIGHTS
• History of Día de los Muertos
• Mariachi
• Local Vocal Artists
• Traditional Dance Performances
• Live Visual Art
• Mechanical Bull
• "Calavera" Face-Painting
• Altar-Making Workshop
• Community Drum Circle
• Mental & Physical Health Workshops
• Candlelight Vigil
• Movie Screening
• Healing Musical Performance
• Traditional Customary Activities
• Locally Renown DJ’s
• Community Discussions
• Cross-Cultural Altar
• Fire Performances
• & Much More
OUR ALTAR
All are welcome to visit and contribute to the large, cross-cultural altar and place ofrendas (offerings) and photos of loved ones who have passed on. The altar is also meant to hold space and pay respect to the strongest issues that contribute to the senseless loss of life while exploring what it means to act together to improve collective mental health through the promotion of healing, building community, and the capacity to process grief. Altar guardians will be present to assist and watch over the altar to preserve the integrity of the space throughout the event.
As the journey of life and death unites everyone, one of the art installations will be the "All Souls Memory Flags" where all are invited, whether in attendance or not, to share an image of a loved one or something representative of loved ones who have passed on to honor their memory, from any cultural background or ideitynt. These memories will be treated with deep respect and care to be displayed with the altar.
Community members are able to request that a memory flag be created to honor a loved one of their choice online via the following link:
https://tinyurl.com/allsoulsmemoryflags
The flags are free of charge and are a gift to the community in an effort to promote healing and remembrance. Please note: The artists will create as many memory flags as possible in advance of the event. If the artists are unable to meet any requests due to bandwidth for this year’s altar, they will ensure that the memory flags will be created after the event and are included to be displayed on the altar the following year.
WHO ARE WE
We are Dia de los Muertos DC (DDLMDC), an organization founded to develop and produce community-building events around the traditions and customs of the Dia de los Muertos (A.K.A Day of the Dead) holiday. Our mission is to fundraise and support various social causes affecting the (black and brown or Hispanic and Latin) community, through teaching unity and oneness as we all experience death. By remembering and paying tribute to the ones that we all have loved and lost, educating the masses on the true traditional history of the holiday while showcasing the importance of these customs, we explore how Dia de los Muertos can be celebrated and embraced across cultures. We act together to improve the collective mental health of the country through the promotion of healing, build community and the capacity to process grief, while supporting our fellow human beings through the difficult mourning process by sharing local resources that are available to help the local community.
PETITION TO MAKE DDLM A NATIONAL HOLIDAY
In a nation built on the ideals of equality and shared freedom, Día de los Muertos offers an opportunity to emphasize unity in our shared fate. It serves as a reminder that no matter who we are, where we come from, or how we live, we all face the same human experience.
By officially recognizing this holiday, the U.S. would:
- Honor the legacy of diverse communities, especially those of Hispanic and Latin American descent, whose traditions enrich our nation.
- Create a space for all Americans to reflect on the fragility of life, the importance of remembrance, and the need for compassion and equality.
- Promote healing and unity, helping us look beyond our differences and focus on our shared existence.
Our goal this November is to unite our community across the country, by including organizers, festival producers, activists, artists, local government officials, museum curators, historians, and communities in order to petition Congress to officially denounce this divisive proclamation and establish Dia de Los Muertos as a recognized holiday within the US.
In order to make Dia de los Muertos an officially recognized national holiday, we are asking that you sign our posted petition in order to showcase the reality that this holiday is already widely recognized and celebrated across the country and has a direct positive effect on the unity and mental health of all of the country’s inhabitants.
LINK TO PETITION:
(https://sign.moveon.org/petitions/make-dia-de-los-muertos-a-national-holiday?fbclid=IwAR3KmqQ8s1QiztVY6JjC0U21E047Bgab3wU2UPd6JKir3HXKQPWcjm7bfBU)
GET INVOLVED / JOIN THE TEAM / BECOME A VENDOR OR SPONSOR / MORE INFORMATION:
Contact us via telephone at (202)744-5497 or via email at [email protected]. (Pitch Deck available upon request)
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Event venue
Constitution Ave & 15th St NW FS NB, Washington, United States
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