Tacoma Art Museum holds its 22nd annual Día de los Muertos Festival on Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., presented in partnership with Mi Centro. Admission is free, but registration is required: pick an arrival time when you reserve, then stay as long as you like.
Food and drink
Local food trucks set up in the covered parking lot behind the museum, open to guests of all ages. The museum hasn’t named the trucks on its event page, and the festival also has food and local artisan vendors.
For adults, the TAM Café and its outdoor patio facing Pacific Avenue become a 21+ beer garden for the day, and the café serves its full menu at happy hour prices all day as a festival special. Bring a valid ID if you plan to drink, since staff check IDs at festival check-in. Drinks stay in the café and on the patio, which opens weather permitting, and food and drinks aren’t allowed in the galleries.
The rest of the day centers on remembrance and art. Community ofrendas (altars) made by local artists and community members fill the museum, and artist René Julio creates a tapete, a temporary sand painting made for the holiday. The performance schedule lists Mictantlicutli Danza Group, led by Javier Ramirez, at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.; Mariachi Real de Seattle at noon; and SL Cultura Project Ballet Folklorico at 2 p.m. Hands-on art-making runs all day on the third floor, with mini tapetes, mini ofrendas and memory boxes, and printmaking with Eileen Jimenez. Spots in the tapete and ofrenda sessions go first come, first served from sign-up sheets in the third-floor atrium.
Before you go
The museum is at 1701 Pacific Ave. in downtown Tacoma. Free parking behind the building is limited, so TAM suggests carpooling or taking transit. Strollers are welcome, but backpacks and bags thicker than 6 inches are not, and only service animals are allowed inside. Full-face masks aren’t permitted; masks covering only the eyes and upper face are fine, as is face paint on no more than half the face. If you didn’t register ahead, staff will sign you up for the next open time slot when you arrive.
Details and tickets: Día de los Muertos Festival at Tacoma Art Museum (opens in a new tab). Dates and vendors can change, so check before you go.
