New Orleans is once again throwing open Lafayette Square for its annual Día de los Muertos Festival, a free, family-friendly celebration honoring loved ones who have passed and packed with live music, food vendors, an ofrenda and a costume contest. The event is hosted by the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Louisiana and its HCCL Young Professionals group, continuing a tradition the organization has built over the past several years in downtown New Orleans.
Exact timing for this year's festival is murky. According to Biz New Orleans, the festival is set for November 1, from noon to 6 p.m., but Where Y'at New Orleans lists the same Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Louisiana event at Lafayette Square for November 2, also from noon to 6 p.m. Both outlets agree on the location and hours, even as the date itself remains unresolved between the two listings.
Admission is free and open to the public, according to the seed reporting from Biz New Orleans, continuing a pattern established in past years. The 2023 edition of the festival, presented by the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Louisiana Young Professionals at Lafayette Square, was also free to attend and ran from 1 to 5 p.m., per the New Orleans Chamber of Commerce.
What's Planned for This Year's Celebration
The festival lineup includes local food vendors, live music, children's activities, local artisans and shopping, per Biz New Orleans. A Catrina and Catrín Showcase Contest will celebrate traditional attire, creativity and cultural expression, and attendees are invited to dress in traditional or festive clothing to take part. Visitors are also encouraged to bring friends and loved ones to join in the festivities, the outlet reports.
The Consulate of Mexico will present a traditional altar honoring loved ones, while the Louisiana Children's Museum will host a children's corner featuring arts, crafts and activities, according to Biz New Orleans. That emphasis on remembrance through an altar has been a consistent thread in the New Orleans celebration; the 2023 festival similarly featured an ofrenda where attendees could bring photos and mementos, per the New Orleans Chamber of Commerce, and Where Y'at describes this year's ofrenda as a place for people to bring photos, offerings and memorabilia of deceased loved ones.
Live entertainment is set to include DJ Dotcommer, Ballet Vive Mi Tierra, Alesia Garcia and Her Band, Mariachi Jalisco, Fermín Cevallos & Merengue 4, and La Tran-K Band, Biz New Orleans reports. The festival has drawn support from businesses and organizations including Telemundo42, Southern Eagle, Los Jefes, Televizion, Quattro Signs & Graphics, Balloons Creations by Liz, Jambalaya News and Kenner Ice House, per the outlet.
A Tradition With Roots Spanning Thousands of Years
Día de los Muertos honors the lives and memories of loved ones through traditions, colorful displays, music, food and community gatherings, and traces its origins to central and southern Mexico, spanning thousands of years of history, according to Biz New Orleans. The NOLA.com has similarly described the observance as having a lineage extending more than 3,000 years to central and southern Mexico, noting that the local celebration has repeatedly combined food, music, children's activities, vendors and costume contests.
Scholarships and Leadership Behind the Event
Mayra Pineda, president and CEO of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Louisiana, said the festival celebrates cultural heritage, honors loved ones and brings the community together through meaningful traditions. Pineda also said the event invests in Louisiana students' future through scholarships, according to Biz New Orleans, which reports that proceeds from the festival will benefit scholarships for students attending colleges and universities in Louisiana.
The chamber's broader scholarship program aims to award $1,000 scholarships to deserving undergraduate or vocational students who meet eligibility requirements, according to the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Louisiana. Eligible applicants must hold a GPA of 2.8 or higher and be currently enrolled at an undergraduate institution or technical school, the chamber states. Its scholarship page currently notes that the application window is now closed.
Festival attendees can find information about sponsorships and VIP tickets through the festival website, Biz New Orleans reports. Past years have offered a glimpse at what VIP access has looked like: the 2025 festival announcement listed VIP admission at $50 with exclusive perks, according to My New Orleans, which described that year's event as a day filled with delicious food, live entertainment, cultural performances and community celebration at Lafayette Square's address of 602 Camp Street.
