Downtown Raleigh turns into a sea of marigolds and painted faces today. The city's Day of the Dead festival returns to City Plaza on Fayetteville Street from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. for its eighth year. Admission is free.

Organizers say no Latino cultural event in North Carolina is bigger. Past editions have drawn more than 30,000 people. The crowd has grown each fall.

What to expect

Two stages will host 31 performances through the day. Groups of Aztec dancers and folkloric companies representing many Mexican regions will share traditional dances while bands play cumbia, sonidero and regional Mexican music.

The big draw is the Catrina parade. Crowds of young and old dress as the elegant skeleton La Catrina or her partner El Catrín and walk through downtown. Prizes go to the best costumes. Visitors who did not come in costume can get their faces painted at the festival.

Remembering loved ones

At the center of the plaza stands a shared ofrenda, the altar families build to honor people who have died. Guests are invited to add photos, marigolds or candles. A memory wall lets visitors write messages to those they have lost.

Food trucks will serve tacos, tamales, elotes and pan de muerto, the sweet bread baked for the holiday. Local artists will sell paintings, jewelry, textiles and Mexican folk art.

Families can also pick up a festival passport. Snap a photo at the stages, a favorite food stop, a favorite booth, the parade and the altar to enter a prize drawing announced from the main stage.

A living tradition

Día de los Muertos is celebrated in Mexico and across Latin America around Nov. 1 and Nov. 2. UNESCO recognizes it as part of the world's intangible cultural heritage. In North Carolina it has found a new home where parents pass it down to their children.

Back in 2022 the festival organizers were honored by Mexico with its Ohtli Award. The honor recognizes people and groups who open doors for Mexican communities living abroad.