They’re here! Our beloved departed have finally come home after a year of waiting. Every November 1, following a centuries-old tradition, the souls of our departed family members return on Day of the Dead for just one night to enjoy a banquet with us, their living relatives.
Although Día de Muertos steals the spotlight every November, Mexico City is also ready to enjoy its “orange season,” dressed in her cempasúchil gown and bathed with autumn’s soft, golden sunlight. Here’s a look at what to do in the capital in November.
Enjoy CDMX’s spookiest puppet show
The Centro Cultural La Titeria is hosting “La chorcha de las calacas,” a children’s puppet show featuring stories from Mexican folklore.
In Mexican slang, chorcha means “chit-chat.” The show is quite literally that: a fun talk between skeleton puppets, accompanied by songs and music by corrido artist Eduardo López, where kids will learn about Mexico through stories and puppetry.
Designed to be enjoyed by children and adults alike, performances are running from now through Day of the Dead on Saturdays and Sundays at 1 p.m., with a special spooky show on Oct. 31.
Dates: Through Nov. 2
Location: Centro Cultural La Titeria, Vicente Guerrero 7, Del Carmen, Coyoacán.
Cost: 150-350 pesos.
‘Alien Queen’ exhibit by Manuela Solano
Mexican artist Manuela Solano lost her sight at the age of 26, “due to an HIV-related infection that was treated negligently,” as she recalled at the inauguration of her latest exhibit at Museo Tamayo: “Alien Queen/Strange Paradise.”
In 30 large-format self-portraits that were seven years in the making, Solano explores “identity as an act of both survival and subversion.” Solano portrays herself through iconic monsters from pop and folk culture alike — from Britney Spears to the evil mermaid Ursula — as an act of self-inquiry and kitsch rebelliousness.
Dates: Through Jan. 4
Location: Museo Tamayo, Paseo de la Reforma 51, Polanco, Miguel Hidalgo.
Cost: 90 pesos.
A Journey to Mictlán
“Mictlán means eternal resting place of the dead,” Ayaotekatl, a representative of the Tepanec tribe in Azcapotzalco, once told UNAM’s Gaceta magazine. Both folk and pop culture in Mexico have adopted this mythical place as part of their Day of the Dead celebrations.
A great example of this is Fantasy Lab’s “Un viaje al Mictlán” (A Journey to Mictlán) immersive exhibit, running now through mid-November, where visitors can to explore the nine levels of the Mexica underworld.
The idea is to simulate the journey that the Mexica believed the soul undertakes to arrive at its eternal resting place.
Dates: Through Nov. 17
Location: Av. Patriotismo 229, San Pedro de los Pinos, Benito Juárez.
Cost: Tickets start at 390 pesos.
‘Sobrenatural’: Witchcraft from Xochomilco
No November is complete without a trajinera ride across the Xochimilco canals —and its ominous legends, of course. Every year, people in Mexico City await the opportunity to watch theater directly from a trajinera, like Sobrenatural: Ritos siniestros de las brujas de Xochimilco. Folk stories and nocturnal mysticism come together in theatrical performances mounted on trajineras, Xochilmilco’s traditional boats.
Collected from Mexico’s National Archives, these stories portray the fantastical (and demonic) lives of local sorceresses and witches in 1750, some of whom were judged by the Inquisition in colonial Mexico.
Note: This production may be a bit scary for little ones. Watch their promotional video on the Sobrenatural website before you book.
Dates: Oct. 24–Nov. 8
Location: Embarcadero Salitre (Salitre Pier) in San Cristóbal neighborhood, Xochimilco.
Cost: Tickets start at 300 pesos.
Ofrenda monument at the Zócalo
November in Mexico City is not complete without the annual mega-ofrenda monument at Mexico City’s main square, the Zócalo, the theme selected via a public poll.
This year’s monument portrays the Mexica (better known as Aztec) origin story, which the Mexica believed involved a journey from the mythical location of Aztlan to the site where they built Mexico-Tenochtitlán, their gleaming capital.
Colectivo Zion Art Studio, which designed the monument for 2025, has created a full immersive experience. With four pedestrian entrances, visitors will see an ofrenda that simulates “the arrival of the heirs of the Mexica culture” to Mexico City’s historic center, where the proud Mexica city of Tenochtitlán once stood.
Dates: Oct. 25–Nov. 2
Location: Plaza de la Constitución, Centro Histórico (the Zócalo).
Cost: Free.
Calaveritas Run
Mexico City just can’t live without her runners — not even in the midst of the Day of the Dead festivities. Proof positive is AS Deporte’s nighttime race across the first section of Bosque de Chapultepec, called the Calveritas Run.
Scheduled for November 1, the race honors the season’s aesthetics by requiring participants to wear their best Mexican skull makeup. For racers who are not exactly makeup artists, there will be ‘calaverita’ stands onsite where one can get one’s face painted.
The official route covers 10 kilometers. However, participants can also win prizes if they complete half the route.
Date: Nov. 1, 7:30 p.m.
Location: Bosque de Chapaultepec, First Section, Miguel Hidalgo.
Cost: Entrance fees start at 450 pesos for children and 700 pesos for adults.
Ofrenda contest at Chapultepec Park
Art collectives, students and solo artists will showcase their design skills across Paseo de los Compositores in Chapultepec Park this November, with only 40 winning designs to be selected for the city’s official Ofrenda Contest, hosted by park authorities and promoted by the Tourism Ministry.
Using biodegradable materials, contestants are expected to dedicate their ofrendas “to [Mexican] composers who, with their music, shaped the country’s sound identity,” said tourism authorities in a statement. You can see the winning entries on display throughout the first week of November, framed by Chapultepec Park’s impressive forest.
Dates: Oct. 28 to Nov. 3
Location: Chapultepec Park, Second Section of Environmental Area, Miguel Hidalgo.
Cost: Free.
CDMX Day of the Dead parade
Even though some people want to believe otherwise, the Day of the Dead parade is not really a tradition in Mexico — not until recently, at least.
Ever since the James Bond movie “Spectre” (2015) created the parade on Mexico City’s streets for an action scene in the film, people have flocked to the capital each year for this massive parade — in which Catrinas, Catrines, marching bands and floats with monumental papier-maché sculptures make their way down Paseo de la Reforma. City officials are expecting 5 million visitors this year, according to local media sources.
If you’re in Mexico City, this spectacle of color, music and, yes, Mexican tradition is worth seeing at least once in your life. You’ll never forget it.
Date: Nov. 1, starting at 2 p.m. at the Lions’ Gate (the main entrance) at Bosque de Chapultepec, Av. P.º de la Reforma 132, Cuauhtémoc, Miguel Hidalgo.
Location: The parade starts at the Lions’ Gate in Chapultepec and ends at the Zócalo.
Cost: Free.
‘Giselle’ performances at Palacio de Bellas Artes
For the first time in five years, the world-famous ballet “Giselle” will again be staged at Palacio de Bellas Artes. Choreographed by Russian dancer Svetlana Ballester, this tragic ballet classic will be interpreted by Mexico’s National Dance Company.
Of course, this performance could not be complete without music from the Orquesta del Teatro de Bellas Artes.
Dates: Nov. 4–23
Location: Palacio de Bellas Artes. Av. Juárez S/N, Centro Histórico, Cuauhtémoc.
Cost: Tickets start at 165 pesos. Buy them either through the Palacio de Bellas Artes box office (where the elderly, students and teachers can get a discount with valid credentials) or through Ticketmaster on the Palacio de Bellas Artes website.
Gotham City Circus
Complimentary drinks and circus acts sound like a plan designed by The Joker himself, no? Don’t worry, though. The Gotham City Circus — a character-inspired immersive experience featuring fine cuisine, mixology samples (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) and circus acts — is perfectly safe.
Aztlán Parque Urbano will transform into the iconic Gotham City of “Batman” fame, where its villain, the Joker, will implement his master plan.
Date: Nov. 15, 6 p.m.–11:59 p.m.
Location: Aztlán Parque Urbano. Av. de los Compositores s/n, Bosque de Chapultepec, Miguel Hidalgo.
Cost: Tickets start at 500 pesos.
Andrea Fischer is an editor for Mexico News Daily. She has edited and written for National Geographic en Español and Muy Interesante México, and continues to advocate for anything that screams science. Or yoga. Or both.
Source: Mexico News Daily
