DENVER — Every fall, the orange starts showing up before the holiday does. Buckets of cempasúchil fill the back rooms of flower shops, panaderías add sugar-dusted pan de muerto to their cases, and families start gathering photos for the ofrenda.
Día de los Muertos, celebrated Nov. 1 and 2, is a time to remember and welcome back loved ones who have died. In Denver, the tradition is kept alive by artists, cultural groups and, quietly, by the small family businesses that supply it.
The flowers the souls can see
On Federal Boulevard, La Fiesta Flowers and Piñatas has become a go-to for marigolds. Owner Marta Jamison imports her cempasúchil directly from Mexico, and in past years she has stocked more than a thousand ahead of the holiday, drawing customers from more than an hour away. This year’s flowers arrive this week. Until then, the shop’s altar display is stocked with hand-decorated calaveras de azúcar, $8.50 each or two for $14.50.
“It’s the only color the souls can see,” Jamison told Rocky Mountain PBS in 2023.
Bread for the ofrenda
Pan de muerto, the round, sweet bread topped with dough “bones” and a small “skull,” is a centerpiece of the altar. At Panadería Rosales on West 32nd Avenue, it’s already in the case: rolled in sugar with bright pink sprinkles, brushed with egg glaze and topped with sesame seeds, or dusted white. The bakery has made traditional Mexican bread in North Denver since 1976, when Jose Rosales opened one of the city’s first Mexican bakeries. His daughter, Laura Lechuga, has run it since 1992.
Masa, tamales and family
For many families, the holiday meal starts with masa. At La Popular on Lawrence Street, owner Dan De La Torre, who started making tamales there at 13 and later served 33 years as an Aurora firefighter, sells the masa, tortillas and tamales that fill Denver tables every fall. Read his story on HBTV: “From Masa to Tamales.”
Celebrate, then shop local
Denver’s biggest public celebration is Saturday, Oct. 24, at Civic Center Park, free from noon to 7 p.m., with community altars, a vendor market, food trucks and a candlelit Procession of Remembrance around 6 p.m. More events run through early November (see the guide below).
When you build your ofrenda this year, buy the flowers, bread and papel picado from the families who keep the tradition alive. Find them and more local businesses on WooWhoLocal.com.
Where to celebrate: Denver-area events
Most of these are free. Listings come from organizer pages and Denverite.
- Sat., Oct. 24, noon–7 p.m.: Día de los Muertos at Civic Center: altars, vendor market, food, procession about 6 p.m. Civic Center Park, 101 14th Ave., Denver. Free.
- Sat., Oct. 24, noon–1 p.m.: Paint Sugar Skulls / Decora una calaverita. Virginia Village Branch Library, 1500 S. Dahlia St., Denver. Free.
- Fri., Oct. 30, 3–4:30 p.m.: Calaveras de azúcar / Sugar Skulls. Hadley Branch Library, 1890 S. Grove St., Denver. Free.
- Fri., Oct. 30, 6:30–11:30 p.m.: Día de los Muertos at The Cooper Lounge (21+). Denver Union Station, 1701 Wynkoop St.. No cover; register ahead.
- Sat., Oct. 31, 1–5 p.m.: Día de los Muertos 2026 at The Urban Farm. 10200 Smith Road, Denver. $10 adults, $5 ages 6–17.
- Sun., Nov. 1, 10 a.m.–1 p.m.: Cheluna Día de los Muertos 5K. Cheluna Brewing Co., Stanley Marketplace, Aurora. From $42.
- Sun., Nov. 1, noon–5 p.m.: Día de Muertos with the Mexican Cultural Center Denver. McAllister Park Center, 750 W. 96th Ave., Thornton. No cover.
- Sun., Nov. 1, 2:30 p.m.: Colorado Symphony Día de los Muertos family concert. Boettcher Concert Hall. Ticketed.
- Fri., Nov. 6, from 5 p.m.: Día de Muertos First Friday on Santa Fe Drive: art walk, altars, procession 7–8 p.m. Art District on Santa Fe and Museo de las Americas, 861 Santa Fe Dr.. Free.
The Daniels & Fisher Tower downtown will also show a community photo memorial on Nov. 5 from sunset to midnight.
