The scent of sage wafted through the air at Hollywood Forever Cemetery as marigolds, candles and sugar skulls blanketed the grounds for the annual L.A. Day of the Dead festival. Thousands of elaborately costumed attendees shuffled through the cemetery grounds on Saturday for the music-filled Day of the Dead celebration.
The celebration of the Mexican holiday, with its colorful altars and offerings dedicated to the deceased, balances traditional and contemporary elements as Aztec dancers brush up against local bands. For its 18th annual edition, the festival honored José Guadalupe Posada, a highly influential 19th-century Mexican printmaker.
Politics penetrated many of this year’s altars, with displays dedicated to unity, resistance and immigration. That serious messaging struck an odd note with an atypically strong marketing presence; Ilegal Mezcal hosted a pop-up bar while Netflix set up five altars in honor of characters it’s offed (i.e. Barb) along with a photo op inside of a pyramid-shaped mausoleum.
The exuberant celebration of life continues to be one of our favorite events in L.A. Check out our photos below of beautiful altars and meticulously adorned outfits to see why.
All photographs by Michael Juliano.
