St. Mary’s Basilica hosts their eighth annual Día de los Muertos Festival in downtown Phoenix from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 7, in the plaza adjacent to the Basilica, which is located at 231 N. Third St., Phoenix.
The family-friendly celebration is free to the public. A donation of canned goods is suggested, which will benefit the St. Vincent de Paul Food Bank as they prepare to serve the community in need during the holiday season.
As part of the event, there will be a Día de los Muertos procession. The procession will start at 12:45 p.m. outside the Basilica, head west to Third Street, then north up to Van Buren and enter the grassy area near Fifth Street.
Attendees also are encouraged to bring photos of their loved ones to place on the altars around the fountain in the center of the plaza. Paper picture frames (5×7) will be provided free of charge by the Basilica. Candles also will be available for the public to purchase and place on the community altar. The altars will be blessed in remembrance of our beloved ones on this special day. After the blessing, the American Legion Post 41 will play Taps in honor of our veterans and loved ones.
During the event, there will be children’s activities and artisan booths with their work available for purchase. Participating artists include: Martin Moreno, Emily Costello, Gloria Martinez-Granados, Reggie Casillas, and Carol Jackson.
Looking for a bite to eat? We got you covered! A variety of food trucks, including Burgers Amore, Emerson Fry Bread, Queso Good, Comiendo Con Memo, Street Corner Elote Man, Tamales Y Tacos, Paletas Betty and more.
The event also will have performances by Ballet Folklorico Quetzalli-AZ, Sankofa (stilt walkers group), Mariachi Juvenil, Keith Johnson Steel Drums and In the Mix Entertainment. The final entertainment schedule will be posted online: saintmarysbasilica.org/8th-annual-dia-de-los-muertos-festival.
Attendees also can get their photo taken with the Devoted Dolls, who will be dressed up as live catrinas (photos available from link above). Custom cars will be on display and festival participants can vote on their favorite car for a People’s Choice Award. Each vote for their favorite car will cost $1 and all proceeds will benefit the St. Mary’s Basilica Patronato Fund, which goes to Basilica improvements. More information on the Patronato Fund is available online at stmaryspatronato.org.
Pamela Enriquez Courts from Albuquerque, New Mexico was commissioned to create this year’s Dia de los Muertos promotional image. T-shirts featuring the image will be sold with proceeds also benefiting the St. Mary’s Basilica Patronato Fund. Enriquez Courts’ artwork also is on display and available for purchase in the Basilica’s Gift Shop.
Face masks will be encouraged at the event. Also, COVID and flu vaccines will be available onsite at no charge (provided by Maricopa County Public Health).
This year’s event is produced by the Dia de Los Muerto Committee for St. Mary’s Basilica, which is chaired by Luci Perez and co-chair Sylvia Moreno. For more event information, visit saintmarysbasilica.org/8th-annual-dia-de-los-muertos-festival.
