Annapolis families will gather at Maryland Hall on Saturday, October 31, for the city's annual Day of the Dead Festival, a five-hour celebration of Día de los Muertos running from 3 to 8 p.m. The event brings live music, traditional dance, food, art and cultural displays to the venue at 801 Chase Street, along with altars built to honor family members and friends who have passed away.
The festival's return was reported by Eye On Annapolis, which detailed the lineup of programming planned for the afternoon and evening, including activities aimed at children and families alongside the live performances and cultural exhibits. The outlet's report lists traditional dance, live music, food, and art and cultural displays as centerpieces of the event, alongside altars dedicated to loved ones who have died.
A Holiday Rooted in Remembrance
Día de los Muertos is a Mexican holiday honoring and remembering deceased loved ones, traditionally observed on November 1 and 2, according to the same report. Families celebrating the holiday typically create colorful altars, display photographs of those they've lost, and share memories as a way of keeping their presence alive within the community.
Those customs are expected to carry through Annapolis' version of the festival, where altars honoring deceased family members and friends will sit alongside the live music and dance performances. The event's family-oriented bent continues a pattern established in past years at Maryland Hall, the venue that has repeatedly hosted the city's Día de los Muertos programming each fall.
A Recurring Fixture at Maryland Hall
The City of Annapolis describes the Day of the Dead festival as an annual tradition, typically held in October, featuring live music, food and cultural performances alongside traditional altars, vendors and family-friendly festivities, according to the City of Annapolis. In 2024, the city's Office of Community Services scheduled the festival for the same 3 to 8 p.m. window at Maryland Hall, per a city press release announcing that year's event.
The pattern stretches back further still. A similar festival was held at Maryland Hall on October 29, 2022, running from 4 to 9 p.m., according to theccm.org. That earlier event promoted Latin American food, music and crafts, pointing to a years-long tradition of the venue serving as home base for Annapolis' Día de los Muertos celebrations.
Specifics such as ticket prices, parking arrangements and a detailed lineup of performers for the 2026 festival have not been published. What is confirmed is the broad shape of the afternoon: five hours of music, dance, food, art and family activities at Maryland Hall, built around the altars that give the holiday its meaning.
