Day Of The Dead In Oaxaca , Oaxaca City Events
During the Day of the Dead Oaxaca celebrations take place in the city on the
last week of October. November starts the Day of the Dead cemetery
visits, and the decorating of tombs with Marigold flowers and candles.
The Day Of The Dead festival in Oaxaca, Mexico blends exotic pagan ritual
with Christian celebration in a heady mix of candles, marigold flowers, copal
incense, and chanting of ancient dirges in a November cemetery vigil on
October 31 that can leave a visitor bewitched.
The buildup to the event can be just as exciting as the City of Oaxaca
celebrates with a week of concerts, parades, museum exhibits, and gallery
openings
Jet service from Houston on Continental Airlines has made it easier than ever to reach the
preserved colonial city and join the celebration. During the week leading to the November 1st event, the
city comes alive with art gallery openings, sand painting on the pedestrian streets, parades, candle-lit
altars in the shops, and musical events in the plaza.
During the week leading
to The Day Of The Dead
Festival in Oaxaca,
Mexico, the
pedestrian-only streets
hum with concerts and
parades while artists
decorate altars of
marigold flower,
chocolate, bread, and
candles and others
create sand paintings on
the streets.
Families visit the graveyards during the last night of October and the first of November
to light candles, decorate with Marigold flowers, and burn Copal incense during night
vigils where they encourage the spirits to return for a visit. Oaxaca's exotic blend of old
world ritual and pagan festival is unique and becomes a fascinating spectacle as the
cemeteries fill with the light of a thousand candles.
Oaxaca city will bring you back to earth during the day with art museums, monumental
ruins, and up-scale shops: by night with great regional cuisine, and Salsa dancing in the
clubs.





The prelude to the Day Of The Dead in Oaxaca can be just as exciting as the
event itself when the people go to the cemeteries and light thousands of
candles. This is one of Oaxaca City's important festivals and they close off
several streets to celebrate with musical concerts, special art museum
openings, demonstrations of sand painting and competition in building the
traditional decorated altar. All this takes place in and around Oaxaca's
pedestrian only streets in this great city for walking. In another friendly
competition, Oaxaca's hotels, restaurants and shops decorate their lobby with
altars of marigolds and quirky themes of the Day of the Dead.
Parades each day through the city lead up to the evening vigil on the last night of
November.
Where is Oaxaca and how do you get there:
Oaxaca Day of the Dead Schedule of Cemetery Visits
October, 31
Xoxocotlan. This town a few miles southwest of Oaxaca City has two Cemeteries, Cementario Viejo, and
the new cemetery Nuevo.
October 31, the village of Atzompa holds a later cemetery vigil starting around 11 pm.
Day of the Dead November 1
Oaxaca City Cemetery, Panteon General on the east side of the city
Tlaixtac de Cabrera, six miles south east of Oaxaca City
San Felipe del Agua, north of Oaxaca City November 2,
Village of San Antonino Castillo Velasco A flower growing village that celebrates a week after the others
During the Day of the Dead Oaxaca celebrations take
place in the city on the last week of October.
November starts the Day of the Dead cemetery
visits, and the decorating of tombs with Marigold
flowers and candles.
Reach the Cemeteries: The Day of the Dead Cemetery visit transportation is available from
Oaxaca city by bus, taxi, or car. Cemetery visits occur on October 31, November 1 and Nov.
2nd.
First time visitors are best off with one of the many Oaxaca Tour Agencies such as Borroco
Tours located on Garcia Vigil (street) They arrange small or large group van tours for visitors
to the villages. They guide you in the cemetery, help you make photos, and provide local
information about the event.
Otherwise the best option is taxi or collective taxi. Arrange for your return or determine the
loading place at the village when you arrive. It could be difficult to find later in the evening.