Coachella Valley Days of Los Muertos
Join us and our community partners for Coachella Valley Days of Los Muertos in the Sunnylands gardens, October 25–29.
In celebration of Día de los Muertos, the gardens will be decorated Wednesday–Sunday with colorful papel picado (decorative cut paper), nichos (shadow boxes), and ofrendas (altars).
Daily lineup of activities below. Free parking and admission. Reservations not required.
Event-themed family activity kits will be available at the reception desk for use in the gardens. Take-home arts and crafts can be found attached to display boards throughout the gardens.
Wednesday, October 25
- 8:30 am–4 pm: Daytime viewing of ofrendas and nichos in the gardens.
Thursday, October 26
- 8:30 am–4 pm: Daytime viewing of ofrendas and nichos in the gardens.
Friday, October 27 *open until 9 pm for special evening programming
- 8:30 am–5:30 pm: Daytime viewing of ofrendas and nichos in the gardens.
- 5:30–9:00 pm: Ofrendas and nichos will be lighted. Flashlights recommended for walking the gardens at night.
- 6–8 pm: Drop-in arts and crafts: Stop by the Center studio where families can create their own Día de los Muertos-themed arts and crafts. Free to participate. Reservations not required.
Saturday, October 28
- 8:30 am–4 pm: Daytime viewing of ofrendas and nichos in the gardens.
- 9 am–3 pm: DOHC’s mobile health clinic on site providing the following services free of charge:
- Health screenings (diabetes, blood pressure, etc.) and test result discussions with trained clinical staff
- Consultations with a DOHC primary care provider to discuss health concerns
- Consultations with a DOHC pharmacist to discuss medication concerns
- COVID-19 and influenza vaccines
Sunday, October 29
- 8:30 am–4 pm: Daytime viewing of ofrendas and nichos in the gardens.
This year’s altars were created by the following organizations:
- The S.C.R.A.P. Gallery
- Animal Samaritans
- Reliance Hospice
- Children’s Discovery Museum of the Desert
- California Desert Arts Council
- Shay’s Warriors
- Boys & Girls Club of Cathedral City
- Girl Scouts of San Gorgonio – Low Desert
Curated by Raices Cultura, there will be various large-scale nichos and two large calaveras, all designed by Coachella Valley-area artists, arranged throughout the gardens. Featured nicho artists below.
Coachella Valley Days of Los Muertos is a collaboration between Sunnylands and the following partner organizations:
- Cabot’s Pueblo Museum
- Children’s Discovery Museum of the Desert
- Coachella Valley History Museum
- Palm Springs Art Museum
- Palm Springs Cemetery District
- Raices Cultura
- Run with Los Muertos
Sunnylands Center & Gardens
37977 Bob Hope Drive
Rancho Mirage, CA 92270
Program changes may require the cancellation or rescheduling of some events. Outdoor programs may be canceled or modified due to weather conditions, including rain, lightning, or strong winds.
For information, please call 760-202-2254 or email education@sunnylands.org.