Oxnard's 2026 Día de los Muertos is spread over about five weeks. A community altar opened at The Collection at RiverPark on Friday, October 2, and stays up through Monday, November 2. The last event on the calendar is a Mass and altar blessing at Santa Clara Cemetery on North H Street on Saturday, November 7. The big gatherings in between fall on Saturdays and Sundays in October. November 2 is the altar's last day, and November 1 has no confirmed event on its own. The festival, the free evening at the arts center, and the cemetery observance all fall before or after the two traditional days.
If you plan for "Día de los Muertos weekend" in Oxnard, you'll miss most of it.
The Calendar, In Order
These are the dated 2026 events within Oxnard city limits as of October 4:
- Now through Monday, November 2: Community altar at The Collection at RiverPark, 600 Town Center Drive, presented with the Oxnard Performing Arts Center.
- Thursdays, October 8, 15 and 22, 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.: Downtown Oxnard Certified Farmers' Market at Plaza Park, 500 S. C Street.
- Saturday, October 17, 1 to 9 p.m.: 4th Annual Panteón Fest at Heritage Square, 715 S. A Street.
- Saturday, October 24, 4 to 7 p.m.: 12th Annual Haunt in the Park at Plaza Park, free.
- Sunday, October 25, 5 to 9 p.m.: OPAC's 7th Annual Día de los Muertos Celebration at 800 Hobson Way, free.
- Thursday, November 5, 5 to 9 p.m.: First Thursday Food Trucks, Día de los Muertos Edition, at Plaza Park.
- Saturday, November 7, noon to 5 p.m.: Día de los Muertos observance at Santa Clara Cemetery, 2370 N. H Street.
The farmers' market isn't a Día de los Muertos event. It's on the list because it brings people to Plaza Park every Thursday in October, right between the weekend events downtown.
One Set of Photos, Two Altars
The RiverPark altar and the OPAC celebration are connected. The altar is a public, multi-tier ofrenda with candles and marigolds. It stands between The Cheesecake Factory and Larsen's Grill, and the Oxnard Performing Arts Center presents it with The Collection. Photos of loved ones sent in by September 25 appear in a digital frame on the altar, and the same photos are shown again at OPAC's celebration on October 25.
So a family that sent in a photo in September will see it at a shopping center for a month, then at the arts center on Hobson Way for one Sunday evening. The September 25 deadline has passed. You can still visit the altar any day through November 2. The opening reception on October 2 had live dance performances and guest speakers.
OPAC has hosted its celebration for seven years. Its page describes calacas, ofrendas, performances and local food vendors. This year's listing adds artists, an art show and community altars. Admission is free and open to the public. The Oxnard Performing Arts Center's event page is the place to check for updates.
The Downtown Saturday Run by an Oxnard Brand
Panteón Fest is the biggest single day of the season, and an Oxnard business runs it. Pipiripau was founded in 2011 by brothers Rolando and Heriberto Rubalcava. It opened a shop in Downtown Oxnard in 2021 and works in apparel, art and cultural events. Its co-presenter, Pueblo & Co, is the cultural-events group Pipiripau started.
The festival is young. The 2023 announcement called that first event inaugural. KEYT covered the third edition at Heritage Square in October 2025. This year's is the fourth, and its theme is a tribute to Chespirito, the Mexican comedian who created El Chavo del Ocho and El Chapulín Colorado.
The Panteón Fest page lists live music, traditional altars, art installations and a Catrina contest, and calls it a family-friendly event. Pipiripau's press release for this year adds Aztec and traditional dance, a theatrical performance, face painting, more than 30 food and craft vendors, and a nighttime procession. The festival runs until 9 p.m., so the evening hours are when the procession happens.
The ticket prices don't match across sources. Here's the breakdown as posted:
- Festival page: $15, labeled pre-sale.
- Ticket checkout: $25 general admission. Children 12 and under are free. A VIP high-top table for four is $275, and the VIP box at $345 is sold out.
- Ojai Valley News, citing the organizers: $15 pre-sale online and $25 at the door.
Check the price at checkout before you count on the lower one.
The festival falls during a notable year for downtown. This is the first Hispanic Heritage Month since Downtown Oxnard was named Ventura County's first California Cultural District. Daniel Cabrera, digital and multicultural manager at Visit Oxnard, described the goal this way:
"Whether attending a community celebration, discovering local artists or enjoying a meal at a family-owned restaurant, visitors can connect with people and stories that have shaped our community for generations."
The Following Weekend: Plaza Park, Then Hobson Way
A week after Panteón Fest, two free events fall on back-to-back days. Downtown Oxnard's 12th Annual Haunt in the Park is Saturday, October 24, from 4 to 7 p.m. at Plaza Park. The organizers describe it as a family Halloween event with trick-or-treat booths and costume contests run by local businesses and community groups. It's a Halloween event, not a Día de los Muertos event. It still belongs on this list because it uses the same downtown blocks the night before OPAC's celebration.
The next evening, Sunday, October 25, OPAC's celebration runs from 5 to 9 p.m. That's where the photos from the RiverPark altar appear for the second time. Plaza Park on Saturday afternoon and Hobson Way on Sunday evening give families two free outings in one weekend, both close to downtown.
After the Altar Comes Down
The RiverPark altar closes on Monday, November 2, the traditional day for honoring the dead. Three days later, the season comes back downtown. On Thursday, November 5, First Thursday Food Trucks, which bills itself as the county's longest-running food truck festival, holds a Día de los Muertos edition at Plaza Park from 5 to 9 p.m. with a pop-up marketplace and live entertainment. The organizers haven't posted a price.
The last dated event is the quietest. Catholic Cemeteries & Mortuaries lists its Santa Clara Cemetery observance for Saturday, November 7, at 2370 N. H Street. Mass and the blessing of the altars start at noon. A cultural celebration with music, children's activities and folklórico dancers starts at 1:30 p.m., and the event ends at 5 p.m. Altar registration for Santa Clara is already closed, so families who didn't sign up can attend but can't build an altar this year. Last year's Oxnard observance at the cemetery fell on November 1, so if you're going by memory, use the 2026 date.
What Isn't Confirmed Yet
A few things that show up in roundups aren't confirmed. A statewide November guide mentions altars on the steps of the Carnegie Art Museum, but no 2026 hours or program have been posted. The same guide places OPAC programming on November 2. OPAC's own page lists October 25. Oxnard College's Día de los Muertos events that turn up in search results are from 2024. A South Oxnard teen nicho-making workshop is listed for October 13, but no time or venue has been posted yet.
Everything else on the calendar above has a 2026 date from its organizer, starting with Panteón Fest at Heritage Square on Saturday, October 17, from 1 to 9 p.m.
I keep a calendar like this for every corner of Oxnard and the harbor because it's the kind of local knowledge that makes a place feel like home. If you have questions about downtown, RiverPark, or where Oxnard is headed, Eric Swartz is happy to talk it through. Request your free home valuation and neighborhood guide anytime.
