43rd Annual Viva La Vida Festival and Parade Happening Oct. 24

Date/Time: Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026 from noon to 6 p.m.

Parade Starting/Ending Location: 6th Street, starting at Neches Street, to the festival grounds at Congress Avenue and 4th Street

Tickets: The event is free and open to the public

Event Website: https://mexic-artemuseum.org/event/43rd-annual-viva-la-vida-festival-parade/ 

The City of Austin and the Mexic-Arte Museum will celebrate the 43rd annual Viva La Vida Festival and Parade on Saturday, Oct. 24 for Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) with a parade and festival. This event is Austin’s largest and longest-running Día de los Muertos event. 

The festivities begin at noon with a grand procession parade marching down 6th Street from Neches Street and ending at the main festival grounds at 4th Street and Congress Avenue. Expect to see vibrant costumes, dancers, floats, and live music throughout the parade route.   

The Viva La Vida street festival also begins at noon and runs until 6 p.m. Visitors can expect to see hands-on art activities, traditional foods, local artists and retail booths, a low-rider exhibition and live performances throughout the day. 

Transportation and Road Closures Around the Event 
Road closures are planned downtown for Viva La Vida Festival and Parade starting at 5 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 24. Event attendees are encouraged to carpool or use one of the following transportation options: CapMetro, bicycling, or dockless devices.  

For drivers not attending the event, alternate traffic routes include:  

North/South:

• I35 Highway 

• Guadalupe

• Lavaca Street

East/West

• Cesar Chavez

• 7th Street

• 8th Street  

For downtown parking information visit: austintexas.gov/paidparking 

Health and Safety at Viva La Vida 
Austin Police, Austin Fire and Austin-Travis County EMS work in partnership to create a safe environment in which everyone can enjoy the parade and festival and encourage attendees to: 

• Remain vigilant and report suspicious activity to 9-1-1

• Plan for the weather forecast

• Stay with your group and have a pre-planned meeting location in case of separation

• Keep your phone fully charged

• Download the what3words app to pinpoint and share your location. 

Austin Public Health recommends attendees be up to date on vaccinations, wash hands often, use hand sanitizer and stay home if you are sick. Vaccines are available at doctors' offices, pharmacies and Austin Public Health. 
 
About the Mexic-Arte Museum
Mexic-Arte Museum was founded in 1984 by artists Sylvia Orozco, Sam Coronado, and Pio Pulido in the Arts Warehouse, in downtown Austin, to share the art and culture of Mexico with Texas. As one of the precious few Mexican art museums in the United States, Mexic-Arte Museum strives to improve the quality of life in Texas through innovative exhibitions and educational programming. A total of 75,000 visitors, ranging from enthusiastic children to art connoisseurs, tour the museum each year. 
 
About Austin Center for Events 
The Austin Center for Events (ACE) is a collaborative assembly of City of Austin departments and agencies designed to streamline special event permitting. ACE is anchored by teams from Austin Arts, Music, Culture and Entertainment, Austin Fire, Austin Police, Austin-Travis County EMS, Austin Transportation and Public Works, Austin Parks and Recreation, Austin Public Health, Austin Resource Recovery, and partner agencies. ACE works closely with event organizers to guide them through the special event permitting process. 

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