The Santa Monica Pier's Merry Go-Round building will become a Día de los Muertos art installation Oct. 31–Nov. 1. Marigolds and papel picado will drape the century-old carousel.
The seventh annual celebration runs Saturday, Oct. 31, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 1, from noon to 5:30 p.m. Admission is free.
This year's installation honors Pedro Infante, the Mexican singer and actor who starred in more than 60 films during the Golden Age of Mexican cinema before his career was cut short in 1957, according to the Santa Monica Pier's event page. Infante recorded more than 350 songs and earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Local artist and producer Sylvia Sanchez, who has assembled altars at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery for years, provides the creative vision. Sanchez first brought her altar work to the Pier in 2021, paying tribute to people with ties to Santa Monica throughout its 115-year history. Christine Lopez is also contributing to this year's ofrenda.
"We are not mourning death, we are celebrating life!" Sanchez said in a statement on the Pier's event page.
Saturday is dedicated to viewing and contributing to the ofrendas inside the Merry Go-Round. Visitors can bring a photo of a loved one who has passed to place on the shared altar. Organizers ask guests to bring copies rather than originals and to remove their frames at the end of the celebration.
Sunday's schedule opens at noon with ofrenda viewing and face painting, followed by a traditional Aztec blessing at the west end of the Pier at 1 p.m. Santa Monica Ballet Folklórico performs inside the Merry Go-Round at 2 p.m., with Mariachi and additional Ballet Folklórico at 3 p.m. Ambassador Carlos González Gutiérrez, consul general of Mexico in Los Angeles, speaks at 4 p.m. Live music by "Brotherhood" follows at 4:15 p.m. on the outdoor stage.
A procession led by Aztec dancers will travel from the west end of the Pier to the Merry Go-Round building. Guests are encouraged to dress in Día de los Muertos attire.
The celebration is supported in part by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Department of Arts and Culture. Argonaut News also previewed the event in its Halloween roundup.
