October 16–17, 2026 • Arts District Campus

Art, music, dance, tradition and remembrance come together for a vibrant weekend celebrating Latin American culture and community in Breckenridge.

Join us for two days of immersive art, live performances, music, dance, hands-on activities, food and cultural traditions. At the heart of the weekend is Día de los Muertos, a time to honor loved ones, remember those who came before us, and celebrate the connections that carry their stories forward.

Throughout the Arts District, discover large-scale Día de Muertos installations and community altars, experience Azteca performances and Catrinas, make art, explore a Latin Market, and enjoy food and music from across the region. Saturday evening continues with Latin Dance Night, featuring traditional and contemporary dance, an interactive dance class and live music.

The weekend also celebrates the creativity, traditions and contributions of Summit County’s Hispanic and Latin communities, whose stories and culture enrich our community.

“I believe that everyone has ancestors that have honored this earth. That death is a universal journey we all take. That in every culture there’s a ritual for honoring our ancestors. I believe that inside of us is the knowledge of our ancestors.”

–Cal Duran

Friday, October 16

DÍA DE LOS MUERTOS CANDLELIGHT VIGIL

Blue River Plaza • 5:30–7PM

An evening honoring Mexican traditions of remembrance, reflection and the enduring bonds that connect us across generations.

5:30PM • Azteca Promenade from Barney Ford Lot to Blue River Plaza by Grupo Huitzilopochtli
6:15PM • Azteca Performance by Grupo Huitzilopochtli
6:30PM • Candlelight Vigil

EXPLORE THE OFRENDAS

Blue River Plaza + Ridge Street Arts Square • 5:30–6:30pm

Discover two Día de los Muertos installations honoring loved ones, ancestors and community:

Portal of Remembrance + Ancestor Arch
Cal Duran + Val Ponce Najera • Blue River Plaza
AirStage Community Ofrenda
Ingrid “Kiki” Díaz-Davis + Summit County students • Ridge Street Arts Square

SATURDAY, OCT 17

crafts on the square

RIDGE STREET ARTS SQUARE • 11AM, 12PM, 1PM

Muertos Mini-Formas: Quandary Antiques Cabin
Flower Crown Making: Fuqua Livery Stable

Ojo de Dios: Randall Barn

shop the LATIN MARKET

RIVERWALK CENTER • 10am–5pm

Discover the vibrant flavors, artistry and traditions of Latin America while shopping handmade crafts, artisan goods and culinary delights with additional food vendors. Make sugar skulls, flower crowns and get Día de Muertos face painting. Summit High School Mariachi Band Performance.

DÍA DE LOS MUERTOS CEREMONies

Ridge Street Arts Square + Blue River Plaza + riverwalk center • 2–6:15pm

A colorful and ceremonial tribute to Mexican heritage, bringing together artistry, culture and the joy of remembrance.

10AM–8PM • Washington Avenue
Lowriders on Display
2PM • Ridge Street Arts Square
Azteca Dance Workshop - Grupo Huitzilopochtli
3:30PM • Blue River Plaza
Catrinas at the Altar
4PM • Blue River Plaza
Azteca Interactive Performance — Grupo Huitzilopochtli
5:30PM • Riverwalk Center
Catrinas Runway; a colorful procession and runway celebration featuring Catrinas.
6PM • Riverwalk Center
Moment of Silence

LATIN DANCE NIGHT

RIVERWALK CENTER • 6:15–10PM

Celebrate the passion, culture and joy of Latin music and movement with an evening of traditional and contemporary dance, an interactive dance class and live music.

6:15 PM • Azteca Dance | Grupo Huitzilopochtli
6:50 PM • Caporales y Morenada | Andean Folk Dance
7:05 PM • Jalisco Dance
7:20 PM • Summit High School Dance
7:35 PM • Tinkus y Festejo | Andean Folk Dance
7:50 PM • Puerta de Oro + Summit Columbia Dance
8:20 PM • Tropical Dance Class
8:30–10PM • DJ Erick Ayala – Latin Dance party

Artists + Performers

Grupo Huitzilopochtli
Cal Duran and Val Ponce Najera
Caporales y Morenada
Jalisco Dance
Summit High School Dance
Tinkus y Festejo | Andean Folk Dance
Puerta de Oro
DJ Erick Ayala

Grupo HuiTzilopOchTli

The Mexican Grupo Huitzilopochtli has been in the Denver area for 40 years and was formed under the direction of Capitan Raul Chavez a 5th generation danzante from Mazatlan Mexico.

The Aztec Dance Grupo Huitzilopochtli has created a special Aztec show, based on Aztec mythology, to celebrate Día de Muertos. The dancers perform the Battle Dance which features two Aztec warriors.  When one of the warriors perishes, his soul is greeted by another soul who leads him to his next life in the Aztec underworld of Mictlan, where the dead dwell. The sequence ends when the souls who reside in Mictlan perform the Día de Muertos Dance.

Grupo HuiTzilopOchTli

El Grupo Huitzilopochtli mexicano lleva 40 años en el área de Denver y se formó bajo la dirección del Capitán Raúl Chávez, un danzarín de quinta generación de Mazatlán, México.

El Grupo de Danza Azteca Huitzilopochtli ha creado un espectáculo muy especial, basado en la mitología azteca, para celebrar el “Día de Muertos”. Los bailarines interpretan la “Danza de la Batalla”, en la que participan dos guerreros aztecas. Cuando uno de los guerreros perece, su alma es recibida por otra alma que lo conduce a su próxima vida en el inframundo azteca de Mictlán, donde moran los muertos. La secuencia termina cuando las almas que residen en Mictlán interpretan la Danza del “Día de Muertos”.

CAL DURAN

Cal Duran is a Queer, Two Spirit, Indigenous, mixed blood, Latine, Manito, Mestizo, Chicane, Indian artist and arts educator from Colorado. He has roots that bridge India, Mexico, and sovereign Indigenous nations and explores his hybrid identities through parallels found in myth, religion, and ritual. For Duran, art is a portal to his Indigenous ancestors—the artisans, craft-makers, star-makers and dream-weavers who paved the way.

Duran has exhibited in museums and galleries throughout the Denver Metro area and beyond. Recently, he created a room at Meow Wolf Denver, honoring his ancestors and the Indigenous tribes of Colorado and the Americas. Duran is currently an artist member and on the Board of Directors for the Chicano Humanities and Arts Council (CHAC). Cal’s installations for Día de los Muertos are featured at the Colorado History Museum, the Denver Art Museum, and the Denver Botanic Gardens.

CAL DURAN

Cal Duran es un artista y educador artístico queer, dos espíritus, indígena, mestizo, latino, manito, chicano e indio de Colorado. Tiene raíces que unen la India, México y naciones indígenas soberanas, y explora sus identidades híbridas a través de paralelismos que encuentra en los mitos, la religión y los rituales. Para Durán, el arte es un portal hacia sus antepasados indígenas: los artesanos, los creadores de estrellas y los tejedores de sueños que allanaron el camino.

Durán ha expuesto en museos y galerías de toda el área metropolitana de Denver y más allá. Recientemente, ha creado una sala en Meow Wolf Denver en honor a sus antepasados y a las tribus indígenas de Colorado y América. Actualmente, Durán está trabajando en instalaciones para el “Día de Muertos” en el Museo de Historia de Colorado, el Museo de Arte de Denver y los Jardines Botánicos de Denver.