The Houston Dia de los Muertos Parade is set for Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026, starting at 7 p.m. in downtown Houston. The parade marks six years of honoring loved ones. Opening ceremonies begin at 6:30 p.m. ABC13, the parade's official English TV news partner, will livestream the event.
A festival runs from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. at Sam Houston Park. The event includes music, food, arts and crafts, and a Catrina contest. The parade and festival first launched in Houston in 2021.
According to the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Latino, Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, began in Mexico as a way to honor ancestors and the recently departed. The museum says the holiday is rooted in Indigenous and Spanish Catholic customs. Many families observe it with an ofrenda, or altar, that includes photos of family members, food such as pan de muerto, and other offerings.