Día de los Muertos in San Francisco is two things on the same day in and around the Mission: a daytime Festival of Altars, where families build and visit altars for people they have lost, and an evening procession through the neighbourhood. They are run by different groups. This guide says what is confirmed, and is plain about what is not yet announced for 2026.
The Festival of Altars
The Festival of Altars began in San Francisco in 1992 and is produced by the Marigold Project. It is free, open to everyone, family-friendly and alcohol-free, and the organizer describes the site as fully accessible; requests go to the Marigold Project in advance.
The 2025 festival was on 2 November at Potrero del Sol Park (also called La Raza Park). Installation began at 8am, a ceremony was held at noon, and there was entertainment from 5 to 9pm. The organizer’s page has not yet been updated for 2026.
What to bring
The Marigold Project asks visitors to bring flowers, 8-inch glass prayer candles and mementos of loved ones for the community altars. If you want to build your own altar, read its altar guidelines and reserve a space ahead of time.
The Marigold Project: Festival of Altars
The evening procession
The procession is organized separately, by El Colectivo del Rescate Cultural. The 2025 procession, the 44th, was on Sunday 2 November from 7 to 9pm, gathering at 22nd and Bryant Streets, with the theme “Nuestros Muertos No Se Venden / Our Dead Are Not for Sale.” The organizers publish mainly through social media, and no route or 2026 date has been posted on a page we could check, so we are not printing one.
Going respectfully
This is a day of remembrance for the people taking part, not a costume event put on for visitors. The altars are memorials to real people. Look, and be quiet around the people tending them.
Nearby: our Mission District guide, and the best burritos in the Mission for afterwards.
Checked against the Marigold Project’s Festival of Altars page, Calle 24’s 2025 procession notice and Mission Local’s 2025 coverage on 17 September 2026. We will check again in October.
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When is Día de los Muertos in San Francisco in 2026?
Both main events were held on 2 November in 2025, and 2 November 2026 falls on a Monday. Neither the Marigold Project, which runs the Festival of Altars, nor the procession organizers had published 2026 dates when we checked on 17 September 2026.
Where is the Festival of Altars?
In 2025 it was at Potrero del Sol Park, which the organizer also calls La Raza Park, not at Garfield Square where many older guides still place it. The 2026 venue has not been announced.
Is the Día de los Muertos festival free?
Yes. The Festival of Altars is free and open to everyone, family-friendly and alcohol-free.
Can I build an altar?
Yes. Anyone can build a personal altar at the Festival of Altars. The Marigold Project asks you to read its altar guidelines and reserve a space in advance. You can also leave flowers, candles in glass and mementos at the community altars.