Guided by Self Help Graphics & Art’s teaching artists, participants will create their very own calavera masks. Embellish your own Día de los Muertos paper mask, designed by artist Leo Limon, using gemstones, colored pencils, and more. Participants can also explore other traditional crafts, including papel picado (tissue paper with cutout shapes) and paper marigolds. Connect with the cultural practices of this sacred tradition as you create art to honor your ancestors and loved ones.

All materials provided. Free and open to all ages.

Activity Participation Notice

Please note that some activities may be more popular than others and may require a wait time. We recommend arriving early if you would like to participate in all of the activities.

ABOUT SELF HELP GRAPHICS & ART’S 53RD ANNUAL DÍA DE LOS MUERTOS SEASON

As one of the longest-running public celebrations of Día de los Muertos in the United States, Self Help Graphics & Art’s 53rd Annual Día de los Muertos Season honors our ancestors and uplifts the living communities they nurtured through immersive, intercultural programming — free and for all-ages.

For more information about this year’s season, including the celebration on Saturday, November 7, 2026, please visit our website: https://www.selfhelpgraphics.com/diadelosmuertos

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

This project received funding from the Smithsonian’s “Our Shared Future: 250,” a Smithsonian-wide initiative supported by private philanthropy and created to commemorate the nation’s 250th anniversary and advance the Smithsonian vision for the next 250 years.

Guided by Self Help Graphics & Art’s teaching artist Victoria Delgadillo, participants will design and create their own commemorative recuerdo (memory) posters that honor a loved one who has passed. Using tissue paper, stencils, markers and more, decorate your poster with traditional symbols like marigolds, calaveras (skulls), and monarch butterflies, alongside personal details such as photos, names, and meaningful memories. These beautiful works of art can be displayed at home, on an ofrenda (offering), or shared with family. Participants can also explore other traditional crafts, including papel picado (tissue paper with cutout shapes) and paper marigolds. Connect with the cultural practices of this sacred tradition as you create art to honor your ancestors and loved ones.

All materials provided. Free and open to all ages.

Activity Participation Notice

Please note that some activities may be more popular than others and may require a wait time. We recommend arriving early if you would like to participate in all of the activities.

ABOUT SELF HELP GRAPHICS & ART’S 53RD ANNUAL DÍA DE LOS MUERTOS SEASON

As one of the longest-running public celebrations of Día de los Muertos in the United States,  Self Help Graphics & Art’s 53rd Annual Día de los Muertos Season honors our ancestors and uplifts the living communities they nurtured through immersive, intercultural programming — free and for all-ages. 

For more information about this year’s season, including the celebration on Saturday, November 7, 2026, please visit our website: https://www.selfhelpgraphics.com/diadelosmuertos

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

This project received funding from the Smithsonian’s “Our Shared Future: 250,” a Smithsonian-wide initiative supported by private philanthropy and created to commemorate the nation’s 250th anniversary and advance the Smithsonian vision for the next 250 years.

Guided by Self Help Graphics & Art’s teaching artist Ivan Zuno, participants will create their own miniature artworks on a canvas, using a candle design as the initial starting point. Once your painting is complete, learn how to insert an LED light into it, making this a “living candle” painting that can be used for your altar at home. Participants can also explore other traditional crafts, including papel picado (tissue paper with cutout shapes) and paper marigolds. Connect with the cultural practices of this sacred tradition as you create art to honor your ancestors and loved ones.

All materials provided. Free and open to all ages.

Activity Participation Notice

Please note that some activities may be more popular than others and may require a wait time. We recommend arriving early if you would like to participate in all of the activities.

ABOUT SELF HELP GRAPHICS & ART’S DÍA DE LOS MUERTOS COMMUNITY ART WORKSHOP SERIES
Each October, SHG hosts a series of free community art workshops every Saturday (October 3, 10, 17, 24, and 31)  from 12-3 PM. All workshops will take place at the East Los Angeles County Library’s Community Room (4837 E 3rd St, Los Angeles, CA 90022).

ABOUT SELF HELP GRAPHICS & ART’S 53RD ANNUAL DÍA DE LOS MUERTOS SEASON

As one of the longest-running public celebrations of Día de los Muertos in the United States,  Self Help Graphics & Art’s 53rd Annual Día de los Muertos Season honors our ancestors and uplifts the living communities they nurtured through immersive, intercultural programming — free and for all-ages. 

For more information about this year’s season, including the celebration on Saturday, November 7, 2026, please visit our website: https://www.selfhelpgraphics.com/diadelosmuertos

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

This project received funding from the Smithsonian’s “Our Shared Future: 250,” a Smithsonian-wide initiative supported by private philanthropy and created to commemorate the nation’s 250th anniversary and advance the Smithsonian vision for the next 250 years.

Guided by Self Help Graphics & Art’s teaching artist Nupur Behera, participants will decorate their own candles using tissue paper, wax paper, and heat transfers. Designs can be inspired by traditional symbols like marigolds, calaveras (skulls), and monarch buttterflies—or with personal symbols that honor a loved one who has passed. These decorated candles can be placed on an altar, used in remembrance, or kept as a personal keepsake. Participants can also explore other traditional crafts, including papel picado (tissue paper with cutout shapes) and paper marigolds. Connect with the cultural practices of this sacred tradition as you create art to honor your ancestors and loved ones.

All materials provided. Free and open to all ages.

Activity Participation Notice

Please note that some activities may be more popular than others and may require a wait time. We recommend arriving early if you would like to participate in all of the activities.

ABOUT SELF HELP GRAPHICS & ART’S 53RD ANNUAL DÍA DE LOS MUERTOS SEASON

As one of the longest-running public celebrations of Día de los Muertos in the United States,  Self Help Graphics & Art’s 53rd Annual Día de los Muertos Season honors our ancestors and uplifts the living communities they nurtured through immersive, intercultural programming — free and for all-ages. 

For more information about this year’s season, including the celebration on Saturday, November 7, 2026, please visit our website: https://www.selfhelpgraphics.com/diadelosmuertos

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

This project received funding from the Smithsonian’s “Our Shared Future: 250,” a Smithsonian-wide initiative supported by private philanthropy and created to commemorate the nation’s 250th anniversary and advance the Smithsonian vision for the next 250 years.

Sunday, November 1, 2026 | evening to night

Tonalli Studios
4539 E Cesar E Chavez Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90022

Join us for an evening honoring our ancestors through altars, memory, and connection. We will share light refreshments, poetry, and memories of loved ones, celebrating the lives of those who came before us through communal memory.

ABOUT SELF HELP GRAPHICS & ART’S 53RD ANNUAL DÍA DE LOS MUERTOS SEASON

As one of the longest-running public celebrations of Día de los Muertos in the United States, Self Help Graphics & Art’s 53rd Annual Día de los Muertos Season honors our ancestors and uplifts the living communities they nurtured through immersive, intercultural programming — free and for all-ages.

For more information about this year’s season, including the celebration on Saturday, November 7, 2026, please visit our website: https://www.selfhelpgraphics.com/diadelosmuertos

Presented by Self Help Graphics & Art in partnership with the Smithsonian Folklife Festival and the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Latino

Self Help Graphics & Art | Outdoors*
1300 1st St, Los Angeles, CA 90033
* Outdoors on the block of Anderson Street, right outside Self Help Graphics & Art’s Boyle Heights building

Self Help Graphics & Art is excited to announce that its 53rd Annual Día de los Muertos Celebration will take place just outside our Boyle Heights home, block party style, on Saturday, November 7, 2026! While we will reopen our doors in 2027, join us as we begin our homecoming to our Boyle Heights neighborhood.

Self Help Graphics & Art’s 53rd Annual Día de los Muertos Celebration will start with a procession at 2 PM, led by Danza Azteca Chicomecoatl. Join us as we continue this longtime tradition and walk from Mariachi Plaza to our permanent home on the corner of 1st Street and Anderson Street, where the celebration will take place outdoors on the block of Anderson Street from 3-10 PM.

This year’s communal gathering will feature live music and dance as ofrendas (offerings) to our ancestors, community altars of remembrance and resistance by local community members, Muertos Market featuring local artists and artisans, Self Help Graphics prints for sale, local food vendors, face painting, art activities, and more!

This year’s Día de los Muertos season will kick off in October at the East Los Angeles Library, with five Saturday community art workshops (October 3, 10, 17, 24, and 31) where you and your loved ones can engage in traditional Día de los Muertos crafts.

This year, Self Help Graphics & Art is honored to participate in Of the People: The Smithsonian Festival of Festivals, a community of festivals across the country showcasing the nation’s remarkable cultural landscape. This partnership brings the spirit of the Smithsonian Folklife Festival—the institution’s largest and longest-running event— to community festivals in several states and territories across the country. As one of the longest-running public celebrations of Día de los Muertos in the United States, this year’s celebration stays true to its social justice roots. We honor our ancestors and uplift the living communities they nurtured through immersive, intercultural programming — free and for all-ages.

More details on the season’s lineup are coming soon. In the meantime, get your free season tickets today!

ABOUT SELF HELP GRAPHICS & ART’S 53RD ANNUAL DÍA DE LOS MUERTOS CELEBRATION

As one of the longest-running public celebrations of Día de los Muertos in the United States,  Self Help Graphics & Art’s 53rd Annual Día de los Muertos Season honors our ancestors and uplifts the living communities they nurtured through immersive, intercultural programming—free and for all-ages. 

To learn more about this year’s season, including the Saturday community workshops in October at the East LA Library, and the celebration outside Self Help Graphics & Art on Saturday, November 7, 2026, visit our website: https://www.selfhelpgraphics.com/diadelosmuertos

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

This project received funding from the Smithsonian’s “Our Shared Future: 250,” a Smithsonian-wide initiative supported by private philanthropy and created to commemorate the nation’s 250th anniversary and advance the Smithsonian vision for the next 250 years.

Additional support provided by The Enrique and Lucy Family Foundation.