Día de los Muertos in the Mission, Monday Nov 2
San Francisco marks Día de los Muertos on November 2, and in 2026 that falls on a Monday. Two separate community events carry the day in the Mission, run by two different groups, and it helps to know which is which. The Festival of Altars, run by the Marigold Project, fills Potrero del Sol Park with community altars through the day. The Ritual Procession, organized by the Comité de Rescate Cultural, steps off at 7pm and walks 24th Street. Plenty of older listings put the altars in Garfield Square. KQED's 2026 schedule names Potrero del Sol Park, as does the Marigold Project's own festival page, so plan around that.
The schedule
According to KQED's 2026 events list, altar building at the Festival of Altars begins at 10am on November 2, a sunset ceremony and land blessing follows at 5pm, and La Gente SF performs at 8pm. This year's theme is "Familia: Entre raíces y el cielo" (Family: between roots and heaven). The procession gathers at Bryant and 22nd streets and moves at 7pm along 24th Street toward Mission Street. Admission to the procession is free. The Marigold Project describes the Festival of Altars as free and open to the public, alcohol-free and for all ages.
How to take part
This is a remembrance, not a costume party, and it lands two days after Halloween, so leave the store-bought skeleton suit at home. The Marigold Project invites people to build an altar or simply come and view the community altars, and asks visitors to bring flowers, candles and mementos to leave on them. Groups that want their own altar space reserve a spot through the organizer's RSVP and read its altar guidelines first. If you want your face painted for the procession and don't know how, KQED notes that makeup artists are often working along the route. Photograph the altars, but ask before photographing people standing at them.
Altar Supplies, Folk Art and Pan de Muerto
24th Street, the heart of the Calle 24 Latino Cultural District, is where to shop for an ofrenda: sugar skulls, candles, folk art, marigolds and the round, sugared pan de muerto that goes on the altar and then gets eaten. Go the weekend before. On November 2 itself the bakeries are busy and the sidewalks fill up toward evening.
Folk art and gifts
Luz de Luna (3182 24th St) is the shop to start with. Axios singled it out in its December 2025 local gift list for handmade crafts and Day of the Dead merchandise, which is what you want for an altar or a gift that outlasts the season. A few blocks west, the Precita Eyes Muralists visitors center and community store (2981 24th St) is the nonprofit behind many of the Mission's murals. It sells painting supplies and runs classes and workshops, and it leads mural tours, a good way to see the murals you'll pass on the way to the procession. The center posts hours of Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 10am–5pm and Saturday noon–5pm, and closes on holidays.
Pan de muerto and pan dulce
The 24th Street panaderías are where the altar bread comes from. La Mexicana Bakery (2804 24th St) is reviewed by The Infatuation as of October 2026 for its pan dulce, conchas and seasonal pan de muerto. Selection rotates through the day and it is cash only, so bring bills. La Reyna Bakery (3114 24th St) is the other 24th Street panadería The Infatuation recommends, for conchas and cuernos; bring cash there too. For an altar, buy one round loaf for the ofrenda and a second to eat with hot chocolate. Pan de muerto is seasonal, so if you want a specific size or a dozen pieces, go early in the day and early in the week.
Gifts and Chocolate a Few Blocks West
Valencia Street runs parallel to Mission Street a few blocks west and makes an easy second stop. Our Valencia Street district page covers the full street.
For an altar or a host gift
Dandelion Chocolate (740 Valencia St) is a bean-to-bar chocolate factory and cafe, and a bar or a cup of its hot chocolate is a good offering for anyone who loved sweets. Paxton Gate (824 Valencia St), the natural-history curiosity shop, sells bones, insect specimens, plants and jewelry, and it suits the season more than most gift shops do. Open Editions (786 Valencia St) stocks art books, prints, stationery and art supplies, useful if you're making your own papel picado or cards for an altar. Farther south, Needles & Pens (1173 Valencia St) sells zines and artist books from local makers. Its hours aren't posted, so call ahead.
BART, Timing and Where to Eat
Getting there
Take BART to 24th St Mission station. BART's own guide puts Potrero del Sol Park, at 25th Street and San Bruno Avenue, about 0.9 miles from the station, and the procession start at 22nd and Bryant about 0.7 miles away. The procession takes about two hours, so wear comfortable shoes and bring a layer: November evenings in the Mission get cold once the sun goes down. If you plan to take Muni, check SFMTA for service changes that evening.
A plan for the day
Shop 24th Street in the late morning, walk to Potrero del Sol Park in the afternoon to see the altars come together, and stay for the 5pm sunset ceremony. Eat on 24th Street, then walk to Bryant and 22nd for the 7pm procession. If you'd rather sit down after the procession, Donaji (3161 24th St) is a Mexican restaurant on 24th Street listed in the MICHELIN Guide's 2026 California selection. Check its hours before you plan around it for a Monday night.
Other dates this season
KQED's list also has the Tenderloin Street Fair's Día de Muertos on Sunday, November 1, 2–8pm, free with an Eventbrite RSVP, and SOMArts' "In Their Name: Día de Los Muertos 2026" exhibition, open through November 20 ($15, 16 and under free). For the shops in the rest of the city, see our Union Square shopping walk and Hayes Valley and Fillmore boutiques guides.
