Balboa Park turns into a gathering place for remembrance and celebration this Sunday, November 1, as the San Diego Museum of Art hosts a free Día de los Muertos community event from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Plaza de Panama, right in front of the museum itself. The afternoon is built for all ages, blending live performances with hands-on art-making and a communal ofrenda that visitors are invited to help shape.
According to the San Diego Museum of Art, the centerpiece of the day is a specially created ofrenda designed by visiting artist Betsabeé Romero in collaboration with local San Diego students. Community members are invited to honor loved ones, share memories, and contribute meaningful objects and creative responses to the altar, turning it into a living, evolving tribute rather than a static display. Romero herself will join the museum community for the ofrenda's inauguration at 11 a.m. on the museum's front steps, kicking off the day's programming in person.
Who Is Betsabeé Romero
Romero, a Mexico City-based artist, is known for work that explores migration, memory, popular culture and cultural identity, the museum notes. She's also behind Tejiendo Redes, an ongoing public art project that brings communities together by collaboratively weaving soccer nets installed across North America, as described on the museum's website. Her solo exhibition, Betsabeé Romero: Tejiendo Redes (Weaving Nets), is currently on view at the museum through January 3, 2027, giving Sunday's ofrenda collaboration a tie-in to a longer-running show.
As reported by KPBS, the free event is hosted by the museum and celebrates the Día de los Muertos tradition with programming aimed squarely at families. Beyond the ofrenda and the 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. outdoor festivities, the museum is sweetening the deal with free admission to both the San Diego Museum of Art and MOPA@SDMA from noon to 5 p.m. that same day, opening its galleries to anyone who wants to wander in after the outdoor celebration winds down.
A Ticketed Taco Party Rounds Out the Day
For those looking for something a little more indulgent, the museum is also running a separate, ticketed Taco Party from noon to 4 p.m. in the SDMA May S. Marcy Sculpture Court and Garden. Per the museum's ticketing site, the gathering features unlimited street-style tacos, beverages, music and what organizers describe as a festive atmosphere, positioned as a complement to the free Día de los Muertos programming happening simultaneously out front.
Tickets run $50 for members, $60 for nonmembers and $20 for youth ages 0 to 6, with each ticket including one complimentary Panama 66 margarita, beer or agua fresca, according to the same ticketing page. It's a pay-to-play add-on for anyone who wants bottomless tacos alongside the day's free cultural programming.
About the Museum Itself
The San Diego Museum of Art sits in the heart of Balboa Park, home to a collection of more than 32,000 works spanning from 3000 BC to the present day, the museum says on its website. Beyond special events like Sunday's, the institution regularly offers guided tours, classes, lectures, concerts and related programs, giving visitors ongoing access to original artworks and resources for learning about art year-round.
Sunday's celebration arrives amid a broader wave of Día de los Muertos programming across the region this year. The San Diego Automotive Museum, also located in Balboa Park, advertised what it called its first-ever Día de los Muertos Celebration with family-friendly activities, according to Balboa Park Events. And earlier this month, KPBS Public Media published a guide rounding up places across San Diego County to mark the holiday this year.
