Santa Monica's Pier Carousel Becomes a Two-Day Ofrenda
Marigolds and papel picado dress the pier's 100-year-old carousel, where anyone can add a photograph to the ofrenda honoring Pedro Infante.
🎪 The Carousel Altar
💀 What the Altars Hold
The Merry Go-Round building holds the altars on both days, and the 100-year-old carousel inside it is dressed in marigolds and papel picado. Local artist Sylvia Sanchez builds the ofrendas, the same work she has assembled at Hollywood Forever Cemetery, and this year the pier honors Pedro Infante, a singer and actor of the Golden Age of Mexican cinema. At the communal altar, visitors add their own photographs to an ofrenda the community builds together.
🌼 How to Take Part
Bring a copy of a photograph of the person you are remembering, not an original. Frames are not provided, so bring your own and take it home again at the end of the celebration. SMPC, which runs the pier, is not liable for any damages that may occur. Facepainting runs inside the building from noon on Sunday, and guests are encouraged to wear Día de los Muertos attire and join the procession. The Metro station at 4th and Colorado is a 10-minute walk to the pier.
🕐 Two Days, Two Programs
Free both days. Saturday, October 31 runs 11 AM to 7 PM with only the ofrendas inside the Merry Go-Round. Sunday, November 1 runs 12 PM to 5:30 PM: the Aztec blessing at the west end at 1 PM, a procession to the carousel, Ballet Folklorico at 2 PM, mariachi and folklorico at 3 PM, the consul general of Mexico at 4 PM, Brotherhood on the outdoor stage at 4:30 PM. Arrive before 1 PM at the west end to catch the blessing.
