Hollywood Forever Cemetery claims to host the largest Day of the Dead celebration in California, and we wouldn’t doubt it: The cemetery grounds are covered with art exhibitions, dance rituals, musical performances, arts and crafts projects and food vendors (and crowds) aplenty. You’ll see altars to the dead created by community artists, and can either watch or participate in the calaca (skeleton) costume contest.
This year’s theme, “Tonas and Nahuales,” celebrates the spiritual guides and guardians central to indigenous Mesoamerican cultures, and it’s sure to be a spectacular display, as always. And after a couple of years of being split into two sessions, the 2024 edition will return to an all-day event, albeit one with staggered admission times (10am–2pm, 2–6pm and 6–11pm). Regardless of when you enter the Día de los Muertos event, you can stick around until the midnight close. The glowing, flickering altars look absolutely incredible after dark—though that’s also when the crowds tend to be the thickest.