Annual Houston Dia de los Muertos celebration returns for 6th year of honoring loved ones

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- The Houston Dia de los Muertos Parade is back on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026, celebrating six years of honoring loved ones.

ABC13 is proud to be the parade's official English TV news partner and will livestream the event that weekend.

The day will include a festival from 4 p.m. - 11 p.m. at Sam Houston Park.

As night falls, the celebration will continue with opening ceremonies at 6:30 p.m. and the parade winding through downtown Houston streets starting at 7 p.m.

The event has quickly become an exciting tradition for the city, offering music, food, arts and crafts, a Catrina contest, and more.

The Dia de los Muertos parade and festival launched in Houston in 2021.

What is Dia de los Muertos?

Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a lively celebration which began in Mexico as a way to honor ancestors and the recently departed alike and to welcome the return of their spirits.

According to the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Latino, the day is rooted in Indigenous and Spanish Catholic ritual customs.

In fact, the museum says that thousands of years before the Spanish Conquest, ethnic groups, including Mayas and Aztecs, honored their dead with rituals by burying them in graves with offerings of pottery, textiles, food, and more.

That element is still seen in the celebration today as the holiday is observed with fall colors, food, and an ofrenda - or altar - featuring the photos of beloved family members.

Tell me more about the ofrenda

This is how the welcoming back of loved ones' spirits is observed.

The museum notes that the main objects on the altar are symbolic of life's elements: water, wind, fire, and earth.

For example, the earth element is represented by food such as pan de muerto or bread of the dead. Other offerings can include fruit, chocolate, and toys.

But contemporary items range from silk marigold flowers, electric candles, and digital photo frames to honoring pop culture icons like Frida Kahlo.

The most iconic element, though, is the sugar skull.

The National Museum of the American Latino explains that tradition stems from the Catholic Church, which used to make the sugar art to decorate religious altars.

How does La Catrina, or Lady of the Dead, play a role?

La Catrina is an important symbol of the occasion, with its creation dating back to Mexican printmaker José Guadalupe Posada in the early 20th century as a satire of the social situation in Mexico at the time.

According to the National Museum of the American Latino, Catrina was one of the characters Posada created to show the challenges of life, and yet, allows people to laugh at difficult situations at the same time.

Ofrendas often feature the Catrina skulls or skeletons, and people will paint their faces to emulate them.

Catrina comes from the full name "La Calavera Catrina," and recently received the spotlight as a special edition Barbie doll.

You can dive deeper into the meaning behind Dia de los Muertos in this virtual exhibit.

Watch the parades through the years below. A glimpse of the 2025 event is in the video player above.

2021 Houston Dia de los Muertos Parade

2023 Houston Dia de los Muertos Parade

2024

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