The San José Museum of Art (SJMA) will celebrate El Día de Los Muertos (Day of the Day) with a free community day on Saturday, November 1, 2025, from 11am–4pm. The popular annual family event features a variety of hands-on activities, demonstrations, and performances that reflect the traditions associated with this holiday. Admission to the program and the Museum is free all day from 11am–6pm. Event details are available online at sjmusart.org/communityday. 

Activities and entertainment will include: 

• Decorating calaveras de azúcar, or sugar skulls; 
• Amate drawings, where visitors draw inspiration from traditional amate paintings of pants, birds, and other animals; 
• Castanet creations, where visitors create their own hand-held percussion instruments; 
• Performances by Los Lupeños de San José, a local Mexican folk dance company founded in 1969;  
• Live music by Lincoln High Mariachi, a co-ed ensemble and after-school youth mariachi program; 
• A traditional ofrenda altar by local artist Lissa Jones; 
• Visiting partners DREAMer’s RoadMap, Open Space Authority, and More Más Marami Arts, creative ambassador for the City of San José. 

El Día de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is an important and joyful holiday, celebrated in Latin America and parts of the United States, to celebrate the lives of their dead ancestors. Officially celebrated on November 1 and 2, the holiday brings families and communities together to share their love and respect for their loved ones with all-night vigils, song and dance, sharing of special holiday foods, and building of altars. Observance of the holiday in Mexican American communities in the United States continues to grow. 

SAN JOSE MUSEUM OF ART 

The San José Museum of Art (SJMA) is a modern and contemporary art museum dedicated to inclusivity, new thinking, and visionary ideas. Founded in 1969 by artists and community leaders, its dynamic exhibitions, collection, and programs resonate with defining characteristics of San José and the Silicon Valley—from its rich diversity to its hallmark innovative ethos. The Museum offers lifelong learning for school children and their educators, multigenerational families, creative adults, university students and faculty, and community groups. SJMA is committed to being a borderless museum, essential to creative life throughout the diverse communities of San José and beyond.       

SJMA is located on Plaza de Cesar Chavez at 110 South Market Street in downtown San José, California. The Museum is open Thursday 4–9pm; Friday 11am–9pm; Saturday–Sunday 11am–6pm. Admission is $20 for adults, $15 for seniors, and free to members, college students, youth and children ages 17 and under, and school teachers (with valid ID). Admission is free from 6–9pm on the first Friday of every month. For up-to-date information, call 408.271.6840 or visit SanJoseMuseumofArt.org.