Kristie Hubacker, a City of San Rafael recreation supervisor, wrote a recap of last year's procession. In it she described how "residents watched from windows and balconies, waving and smiling, before stepping outside to join the procession." You can read it in the City of San Rafael's account of the 37th celebration. In that recap, the procession is the last part of a long day. The rest of the year's celebration happens in other places at other times.
San Rafael's Día de los Muertos has two parts. The first runs through downtown storefronts in October and November. The second is the full day at the Albert J. Boro Community Center on Saturday, November 7, 2026. That date is almost a week later than last year's November 1 edition. The storefront altars and the November 7 procession happen on different days in different parts of town, so seeing both takes two trips.
The celebration starts downtown
The organizers' altar page lists a display window for business and home altars from October 1 through November 7, 2026. The Downtown San Rafael Business Improvement District lists altar displays for "October – November, 2026" and says its map is coming soon. The organizers also say the 2026 downtown locations will be announced soon. Their site still shows a table of past host storefronts, so check the updated map before you walk Fourth Street to find a particular window.
The downtown displays exist because of the pandemic. The organizers' homepage says they will "continue traditions created for our pandemic years celebrations." That means a car procession through San Rafael and altars in downtown storefronts. The car procession is listed as a continuing tradition. The date printed for it on the altar page doesn't match the 2026 calendar, so watch the organizers' channels for the confirmed day.
The organizing committee shows how much the event depends on downtown. Karina Ramirez-Cortez chairs it. She is also the arts and culture coordinator at the Multicultural Center of Marin. Partners include the City of San Rafael, Art Works Downtown, the Downtown Business Improvement District and Pickleweed Library.
Some weekends in late October will have both kinds of decoration on Fourth Street. Downtown Trick-or-Treat on Fourth Street is Saturday, October 24, from 1 to 3 p.m. It includes a pet costume contest from 1:30 to 2 p.m. and Trunk-or-Treat in the Plaza, according to the Downtown San Rafael event page. The altar guidelines keep the two traditions separate. Halloween objects are "not appropriate" on an altar, and the guidelines add that Day of the Dead skulls "are not scary; they are colorful and smiling."
Then everything moves to Pickleweed Park
On November 7, the celebration leaves the storefronts for 50 Canal Street. The City's 2026 event listing calls this the 38th annual celebration and gives this schedule:
| Time, Saturday, Nov. 7 | What happens | Where |
|---|---|---|
| 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. | Community members build altars | Boro Community Center |
| 3 p.m. | Family art activities, music, children's face painting, food for sale, altar viewing | Boro Community Center |
| 6 p.m. | Walking procession | Canal neighborhood streets |
| After the procession | Live music, traditional food, cultural performances | Boro Community Center |
| 9 p.m. | Celebration ends |
The altar-building times come from the organizers' setup rules. Every altar has to be finished by 2 p.m. and must stay up through the event. Admission is free.
The organizers' site still calls this the 37th celebration. The City called last year's edition the 37th, which makes 2026 the 38th. The City's listing promises live music and cultural performances but names no individual performers or food vendors.
What last year's night looked like
The City's 2025 recap gives a good picture of what to expect. Families and community groups started building at first light. By afternoon the gym held 25 altars decorated with marigolds, candles, papel picado, photos and mementos. Children painted sugar skulls and made paper kites. The recap says there were tamales, pupusas and fresh pan de muerto. Aztec dancers and live folklórico performers filled the afternoon.
In the evening, Aztec drums led the procession. Behind them came a large catrina and catrin, two elegantly dressed skeleton figures, pulled through the streets. Dancers, candles and butterfly decorations followed, with the butterflies standing for returning spirits. The Marin Independent Journal's 2024 photo coverage identified Danza Azteca Mixcoatl in that year's procession. According to the Marin IJ's 2025 preview, last year's procession lasted from 6 to 7:30 p.m. No end time has been posted for 2026. Plan on about that much time if you want to walk the whole route.
You won't find this event in the Marin IJ's 2026 Bay Area Día de los Muertos roundup. It was published October 9 and updated October 14. It covers celebrations in San Jose, Oakland, Mountain View, Martinez, Redwood City, Half Moon Bay, Antioch and Gilroy, and San Rafael isn't on the list. For details, go to the organizers' site and the City's event calendar.
Entering an altar of your own
Anyone can contribute an altar, and there is more than one way to do it. The organizers ask everyone to fill out the altar application to reserve a space. You have four options:
- Pair with a downtown business. The organizers match you with a participating storefront and give you the host's contact information.
- Display one in your own business. Tell the organizers, and they'll add you to the public list.
- Build one at home. Send photos and the organizers will share them on social media.
- Build one at the event. Set it up on November 7 between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. Take it down on Monday, November 9, between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. Altars can't be removed on the night of the event.
The guidelines suggest marigolds, framed photos, pan de muerto, colorful fall fruits and vegetables, water, unlit candles and objects the person loved. Leave out candy, handouts and anything you can't replace. At the event, card tables and 6-foot tables are first-come, first-served. Blue tape is the only way you can attach anything to the walls, so bring your own.
Shopping in the Canal before November 7
A short drive from the Boro Center gets you to the businesses that supply an altar and the meal afterward. Marin Magazine's September 2025 guide to Canal District businesses recommended the San Rafael Cardenas Market before the holiday for candles and pan de muerto. That was last year's advice, so call ahead for this season's stock. Cardenas also posts an ofrenda guide for first-time altar builders. The same guide lists these nearby businesses:
- Cardenas Market, 330 Bellam, with daily-made tortillas
- Iris Flowers & Gifts, 48 Elena Circle, a Canal florist opened in 2022 by an owner who once lived in the district
- Picante Taqueria, 340 Bellam Blvd., open since 1993
- Taqueria Mi Familia, 55 Bellam Blvd.
- Celia's Mexican Restaurant, 1 Vivian St., open in San Rafael since 1971
Bring a printed photo and some marigolds on Saturday morning and you can still meet the 2 p.m. deadline. The procession leaves from the same building at 6 p.m.
If you'd like a neighbor's view of the Canal District's businesses and traditions this fall, Carla Giustino is glad to share what she knows of San Rafael. Request a complimentary Marin market consultation when the time comes.
