Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, October 23, 2026 – Puerto Vallarta’s Day of the Dead festival runs October 25–November 8, with its monumental Catrina unveiling November 1 and parade November 2.
The official Jalisco program schedules the Catrina ceremony for 7 p.m. Sunday, November 1, at the Faro del Malecón. The public cultural program is free, with activities extending beyond the main October 31–November 2 celebrations.
For anyone deciding when to head into Centro, the practical question is straightforward: which evening should you set aside?
The answer depends on whether you want to attend the Catrina unveiling, watch the parade, or spend an evening visiting altars and performances. The expanded schedule adds specific times to the plans described in Vallarta Daily’s earlier festival preview.
One detail deserves attention before you schedule a meeting. Although the state summary lists the November 2 parade at 5:30 p.m., the detailed Puerto Vallarta tourism calendar says that’s when participating groups should assemble. Departure is scheduled for 6 p.m., with arrival at the Los Muertos pier at 8 p.m.
The dates to put on your calendar
The following calendar brings together the principal dated activities in the official schedules. All times are Puerto Vallarta local time.
The state program cautions, in translation, “Programming and activities are subject to change.”
| Date | Time | Event and location | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| October 25–November 7 | Arranged with each restaurant | Sabores que vuelven: seasonal food offerings at participating restaurants, in collaboration with CANIRAC | Restaurant charges apply; reserve directly |
| October 28–November 3 | Opening time unconfirmed | 50 large-format Catrinas displayed along the Malecón | Free |
| Wednesday, October 28 | 7:30 p.m. | Ancestral offering and cultural presentation at the La Isla Shopping Mall amphitheater | Free |
| Friday, October 30 | 6 p.m.; 6:30 p.m. | Catrina gallery opens at Parque Hidalgo at 6 p.m.; altars and offerings open at Plaza de Armas at 6:30 p.m., with pan de muerto tasting | Free |
| Friday, October 30 | 7 p.m.; 7:30–10:30 p.m. | Catrina runway presentation at Los Arcos del Malecón at 7 p.m.; projection show on the Malecón opposite Plaza de Armas from 7:30 p.m. | Free |
| October 30–31 | 8–9 p.m. each evening | Ballet Folclórico Gente Buena de Aguascalientes at Los Arcos del Malecón | Free |
| Saturday, October 31 | 6 p.m.; 7 p.m.; 8 p.m. | Mariachi at Plaza de Armas at 6 p.m.; music at Parque Lázaro Cárdenas at 7 p.m.; dance and an ancestral offering on Calle Pípila, opposite Art Walk Studio, at 8 p.m. | Free |
| Sunday, November 1 | 7 p.m.; 7:30–10:30 p.m. | Monumental Catrina unveiling at the Faro del Malecón at 7 p.m.; projection show in the Centro Histórico from 7:30 p.m., with no more precise location listed | Free |
| Monday, November 2 | Assembly 5:30 p.m.; departure 6 p.m.; scheduled arrival 8 p.m. | Grand parade: Panteón Municipal 5 de Diciembre to the Los Muertos beach pier | Free |
| Monday, November 2 | 7 p.m. | Musical performances at the Plaza de Armas kiosk and Parque Lázaro Cárdenas | Free |
| Tuesday, November 3 | 6 p.m.; 7:15 p.m. | Pet remembrance walk from Calle 31 de Octubre to Los Arcos at 6 p.m.; pet memorial altar opening at the Instituto Vallartense de Cultura esplanade on Isla del Cuale at 7:15 p.m. | Free |
| Friday, November 6 | To be confirmed | Ballet Xiutla special Day of the Dead performance at Parque Lázaro Cárdenas | Free |
| November 7–8 | 7 p.m. each evening | Xantolo, presented by Ballet Folclórico Yolotl Atlapech of Atlapexco, Hidalgo, at Los Arcos del Malecón | Free |
Choosing an evening that fits your plans
October 30 offers several downtown stops with announced times. The Parque Hidalgo gallery opening comes first, followed by the Plaza de Armas altars, the Catrina presentation at Los Arcos, and the waterfront projection show. You can choose a single performance or build an evening around several nearby venues.
To reserve the monumental Catrina ceremony, book November 1. The separate exhibition of 50 figures begins October 28 and is scheduled to remain through November 3, giving residents other opportunities to see the displays.
The parade requires a different plan. Its departure and destination are confirmed in the published schedules. Neither official calendar reviewed for this guide provides the streets connecting the cemetery and pier, road-closure hours, or bus diversions.
That means the endpoints can guide your plans, but you need a confirmed route for any intermediate viewing spot before you rely on it.
Cemetery visits have their own schedule
The Panteón Municipal 5 de Diciembre will host “Memorias entre tumbas,” combining films, storytelling and theatrical walks.
The detailed listings schedule Mexican horror films at 7 p.m. October 30. On October 31, stories and legends begin at 7 p.m., followed by an immersive walk with actors at 8 p.m. On November 1, the walk is listed for 7 p.m., and storytelling for 8 p.m.
The local calendar gives the cemetery program a broader October 30–November 2 date range, but its individual timed entries run through November 1. No November 2 cemetery performance time is supplied.
These activities take place in a setting used for family remembrance. As Vallarta Daily’s coverage of Día de Muertos traditions explains, cemetery visits and offerings are part of how families honor deceased relatives. Ask before photographing people at graves and leave space for private visits.
Admission, reservations and physical access
The public cultural events above are advertised as free. The restaurant program is different: “Sabores que vuelven” requires reservations directly with participating establishments, and the published schedules do not provide a common menu price or complete restaurant list. Confirm the menu and bill with the restaurant before booking.
The official calendars also do not specify reserved accessible viewing areas, step-free approaches, accessible toilets or designated drop-off points. They give no capacity or reservation instructions for the cemetery walks.
For readers who need these arrangements, the municipal tourism office’s published contact number (Guía Turística Oficial) is 322 222 0923. Request information for the particular venue and event you intend to attend.
If you are meeting friends at the parade finish, use the published arrival time when arranging the evening: 8 p.m. November 2 at the Los Muertos pier, two hours after the scheduled departure from the cemetery.
