VENTURA, Calif. — Downtown Ventura hosts its Día de los Muertos festival on Sunday, November 1, 2026, a free street festival organizers call the largest cultural event of the year downtown, while Santa Paula marks the same day with a free celebration spread across three locations, according to the event organizers.
Click here to view the official Downtown Ventura festival page from Downtown Ventura Partners.
Click here to view the official Santa Paula celebration page from the Santa Paula Art Museum.
Seven Blocks, 200 Lowriders, and Four Music Areas in Ventura
The Ventura festival runs from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, November 1, 2026, at California and Main streets, according to Downtown Ventura Partners.
The festival spans seven downtown city blocks, the organizers said.
More than 200 lowrider cars are expected, along with four musical areas, mariachi, and cultural dance, according to the festival page.
The day also includes community altars, a Catrina contest, art exhibitions, an artisan street market, arts and crafts, and face painting, the organizers said.
A beer garden cantina from Mothers Tacos is also planned, according to the festival page.
The celebration starts a day early with a Halloween night market on Saturday, October 31, 2026, from 2:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., according to event listings.
Admission to the festival is free, the organizers said.
Three Stops, One Passport, and a Raffle in Santa Paula
Santa Paula's celebration also runs on Sunday, November 1, 2026, at the Santa Paula Art Museum, Pierce Brothers Santa Paula Cemetery, and the Museum of Ventura County's Agriculture Museum, according to the Santa Paula Art Museum.
Admission and activities are free at all three locations, the museum said.
Get help from someone local. Text HELP to (805) 719-7630 and we'll set up a time to talk that works for you.
Visitors can pick up an event passport at any site and have it stamped at all three locations to be entered to win a raffle prize, according to the museum.
Free parking is available at all three locations, the museum said.
Papel Picado, Youth Mariachi, and a 1:30 Performance at the Art Museum
Activities at the Santa Paula Art Museum's Cole Creativity Center, 123 N. 10th Street, run from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., according to the museum.
Guests can make papel picado and tissue paper marigolds and enjoy free face painting and Día de los Muertos art installations, the museum said.
Inlakech Cultural Arts Center's youth mariachi and folklórico dancers perform at 1:30 p.m., according to the museum.
Sugar Skulls, a Community Ofrenda, and Mass at the Cemetery
Activities at Pierce Brothers Santa Paula Cemetery, 380 Cemetery Road, run from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., according to the event listing.
The cemetery program includes free face painting, sugar skull decorating, crafts, Aztec dancers, folklórico dancers, and mariachi, according to the listing.
Visitors can create an ofrenda on a loved one's grave or share a story on the community ofrenda, the listing said.
Catholic Mass will be celebrated at 1:00 p.m., followed by the blessing of graves, according to the listing.
Activities at the Agriculture Museum, 926 Railroad Avenue, run from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., according to the Museum of Ventura County's event listing.
Sources
Downtown Ventura Partners, Día de los Muertos Festival event page, downtownventura.org; Santa Paula Art Museum, Día de los Muertos Free Family Day event page, santapaulaartmuseum.org; Museum of Ventura County, Agriculture Museum event listing, venturamuseum.org.