Día de los Muertos Returns to Long Beach Nov. 1

Long Beach’s Día de los Muertos Festival is returning Nov. 1 at Rainbow Lagoon, and the City is currently looking for local businesses, food vendors, nonprofits and community groups to participate. Vendor information can be found below.

Long Beach’s Día de los Muertos celebration is officially coming back in 2026 after last year’s event was canceled amid concerns surrounding federal immigration enforcement.

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Emily Nguyen

Emily Nguyen is a Staff Writer at Long Beach Classic, covering local news, community events, restaurants, business openings, arts and culture, and neighborhood stories throughout Long Beach.

Why was Día de los Muertos canceled last year?

In 2025, Long Beach experienced significant ICE and federal immigration enforcement activity across the city, creating fear and uncertainty for many residents, particularly within immigrant communities.

With Día de los Muertos expected to bring a large crowd together for a highly visible public celebration, concerns grew over whether people would feel safe attending.

The City ultimately canceled the 2025 Día de los Muertos Parade and celebration out of an abundance of caution. At the time, City officials said they were not aware of any federal immigration operation specifically targeting the event.

Now, one year later, Día de los Muertos is coming back.

Día de los Muertos returns Nov. 1

The 2026 Día de los Muertos Festival will take place Sunday, Nov. 1, from 1 to 7 p.m. at Rainbow Lagoon, 400 E. Shoreline Drive, in Downtown Long Beach.

The festival is free and open to the public and will feature cultural performances, food vendors, other retailers, a resource fair, City departments and community organizations.

Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a celebration rooted in Mexican and Latin American traditions that honors and remembers loved ones who have died.

The City says this year’s celebration is returning to its original festival format at Rainbow Lagoon.

What about the Día de los Muertos Parade?

One thing noticeably missing from the City’s 2026 announcement is the parade.

The City has not announced the return of the Día de los Muertos Parade for 2026. So far, only the festival at Rainbow Lagoon has been confirmed.

That’s worth noting because after canceling the parade last year, the City carried unused funding into the following fiscal year for the 2026 Día de los Muertos event. For now, though, there’s no word on whether a parade will be part of this year’s celebration.

Vendors wanted for the 2026 festival

Want to be part of the festival? The City is currently looking for local businesses, food vendors, retailers, nonprofits and community groups interested in participating.

Nonprofits and community organizations can apply to participate in the festival’s resource fair, with the City asking that entries be culturally relevant. Food vendors and retailers can also submit a vendor interest form.

The deadline to apply is Oct. 23, 2026.

For applications, vendor information and future updates, visit the City of Long Beach’s official Día de los Muertos page.

Interested in participating? Here are the forms

Nonprofits and community organizations

Form

Food, food trucks and retail vendors

Form

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