MEMORIAL ALTARS
A meaningful way to participate in the Día de los Muertos festival is to bring a personal remembrance for a lost loved one. These personal remembrances, also known as, memorial altars or ofrendas, vary from a single photograph of your loved one to an elaborate shrine in their memory.
Everyone is welcome and encouraged to bring a small memorial altar (the size of an apple crate or smaller) to the festival! We have a large Public Altars tent with an overflow area especially for you to share your remembrance with the larger Día de los Muertos festival family. We also have a limited number of structures and spaces for large memorial altars that are available by reservation, first come first served. Read below for more information about small and large altars and how to participate.
LARGE ALTARS & PUBLIC ALTARS TENT GUIDELINES
Thank you for your interest in reserving a large altar structure or space for this year’s Día de los Muertos festival. Please familiarize yourself with the guidelines listed below before making a reservation. We DO reserve the right to remove anything that violates these guidelines or public safety.
Your memorial altar must be respectful of the sacred nature of Día de los Muertos, the remembrance of lost loved ones, and must be suitable for all ages and audiences.
We will provide you with a structure for your altar or, in some cases, a space for your structure. Our large altar coordinator will contact you directly about this.
Your altar will be freestanding. Nothing may be affixed to any walls or columns.
Remember to use photocopies and replicas of valued photos and mementos.
When your reservation is confirmed, we will email you information regarding altar set up times on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1, and the altar pick up time on Nov. 3.
We are not responsible for items not picked up during the designated pick up time on Nov 3.
LARGE ALTARS
ALL LARGE ALTAR SPACES ARE FILLED FOR THIS YEAR (2024).
Want to reserve a large altar structure or space? Select the link to make a reservation. We will email details to you as soon as possible.
PUBLIC ALTARS TENT
Feel free to bring a photograph (a copy of the original photo is better in case of rain and wind) or small memorial altar (the size of an apple crate or smaller) for your lost loved one to place in Public Altars tent or overflow area. Please follow these guidelines:
The maximum small altar size is 2 ft wide x 2 ft high x 1 feet deep.
Your small altar must be respectful of the sacred nature of Día de los Muertos, the remembrance of lost loved ones, and must be suitable for all ages and audiences.
We DO reserve the right to remove anything that violates these guidelines or public safety.
Please use photocopies and replicas of valued photos and mementos. The tent does not guaranteed protection from wind and weather.
You may bring your small altar or photo (please bring a photocopy, not an original photo) to the site on Friday, Nov. 1 between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. or during the festival from 3 to 11 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 2.
On Nov. 2, festival ambassadors will be onsite to assist you until 8 p.m.
Please take your altar back home when you leave the festival. Bare Hands, Inc. is not able to store items left in the Public Altar tent or overflow area.