Old Town Albuquerque is gearing up for its fourth annual Dia de los Muertos celebration, a 10-day run of marigold-draped streets, glowing miniature hot-air balloons and candlelit processions that begins October 30 and continues through November 8. The historic district will fill with more than 30 ofrendas, a Marigold Mile stretching across its adobe walls and vigas, and nighttime gatherings built around remembrance and tradition.
According to the official event page from Old Town Albuquerque, the celebration runs October 30th to November 8th, 2026, echoing the same roughly 10-day format the neighborhood used last year. Sara Mancini, a volunteer with the Historic Old Town Association, told KOB 4 that the festivities stretch from Halloween through November 8 and include cultural events, crafts for kids, lowriders and mariachi music woven throughout the district.
Marigolds, Ofrendas and a Mystery Sculpture
The signature Marigold Mile will see more than 15,000 feet of marigold garland strung along beams, vigas, lights and historic adobe structures throughout Old Town, organizers say. More than 30 ofrendas, or altars honoring the dead, will be scattered across the district, while a separate community ofrenda decorated by students from San Felipe de Neri Catholic School and Escuela del Sol Montessori will anchor the plaza. Visit Albuquerque, meanwhile, describes more than 50 community-built ofrendas specifically at Plaza de los Recuerdos, a figure that differs from Old Town's own count for the broader district.
New this year is a towering sculpture that organizers have not yet revealed, joining pieces created during the celebration's previous two years. The ofrenda tradition has grown quickly since it began: organizers told the Albuquerque Journal that last year's event had about 20 ofrendas and they expected up to 75 in 2025, a sharp jump from the celebration's earlier years.
Globitos, Coco Screenings and the Hidden Courtyard
Among the most talked-about attractions is the Globitos Candlelight Glow, featuring model hot-air balloons that tower 20 feet tall, filling the street and church courtyard with light. KOB 4 reports the Globitos will appear two times during the week as part of the broader festivities, which also include a costume procession for visitors who want to join in.
Movie nights featuring Coco return as well. Mancini told the station that the animated film will be shown on both Saturdays, giving families what organizers call a Family Day, with free screenings projected within the adobe walls of the church courtyard at San Felipe de Neri. The screenings double as a rare chance to see the church's hidden courtyard, a peaceful space tucked behind the historic building that KOB 4 notes isn't always open to the public. San Felipe de Neri Church hosted a similar Coco screening in its Hidden Courtyard last year, according to the Albuquerque Journal.
Candlelight Processions and Plaza de los Recuerdos
The celebration also includes a Catrina procession, inviting participants to dress in traditional Dia de los Muertos skull attire and parade through Old Town's streets. A separate candlelight procession to remember loved ones is scheduled for November 2, beginning 30 minutes after sundown. From within San Felipe de Neri, the Matachines dance will send its drumbeats echoing outward as part of the cultural programming.
For two nights only, November 1 and 2, Old Town Plaza will transform into Plaza de los Recuerdos, filling with community altars and ofrendas built by neighborhood residents. Last year's version of that transformation let community members sign up for a 6-by-6-foot spot to build their own altar in the plaza, according to the Albuquerque Journal's coverage of the 2025 event, which ran October 24 through November 2 in a similar 10-day format with crafts including paper-flower making, papel picado and pumpkin painting.
Organizers have not yet published a full day-by-day schedule for 2026, with the official event page simply telling visitors to stay tuned. What's already clear is that Old Town is again leaning into the mix of marigolds, candlelight and community altars that has defined the celebration since it began drawing crowds four years ago.
