Halloween is huge, but Dia de Los Muertos, the Mexican festival that remembers those who have passed on, is a familiar event for San Francisco residents.
To honor the deceased, survivors create altars of tribute called ofrendas and gather some of the dead person's favorite foods or possessions. A time for reflection, it's also a festive holiday that embraces aspects of Mexican culture, such as sugar skulls and Aztec dancers, music, poetry and other forms of creative expression.
San Francisco Symphony is celebrating the day with two Dia de Los Muertos community concerts on Saturday, November 4. In addition to live music, attendees will enjoy refreshments, dancing, colorful ofrendas, and folk art.
The 2pm concert features Mexican cultural icon Eugenia León with the San Francisco Symphony for a family-friendly performance conducted by Alondra de la Parra. In the evening, León performs an intimate set backed by her own band.
Traditional Halloween events include a supernatural tribute to '80s horror movies at the California Academy of Sciences, an early morning costume party / yoga cruise, an eerie fundraiser at the Bayview Opera House, a late night black mass and movie showing in Pac Heights, and a cemetery bike tour across the city.
There's plenty of family-friendly options, including craft activities and a bouncy house party at the Japanese Cultural Center, pumpkin decorating and a magic show at Ghiradelli Square and festive raffles and games on Ocean and Faxon avenues in Westwood Park.
If you're passing on Halloween this year, there's also a Puerto Rico relief fundraiser in SoMa, a free bicycle workshop in the Inner Richmond, a Monarch butterfly walk in the Presidio and the monthly flea market out on Treasure Island.
Here's the rest of your roundup for the days ahead:
Thursday, October 26
Friday, October 27
Saturday, October 28
Sunday, October 29
For a full list of what's going on around town this weekend and beyond, don't forget to check hoodline.com/events.
Is your event missing? Submit it for free for the chance to see it featured in our next events roundup.
