The largest annual Day of the Dead celebration in Texas, Día de los Muertos at Hemisfair (Muertos Fest), goes virtual this year for its 8th annual event. Through a partnership with Sinclair Broadcasting CW35, San Antonio’s beloved cultural event will broadcast a primetime, one-hour special featuring community altars, stories and musical guests (including Los Lobos) on Saturday, October 31, at 7 p.m. Muertos Fest 2020 pivots its live experience to broadcast and digital platforms, enhancing this meaningful celebration to reach both a local and national audience.

Directed by award-winning, local filmmaker, Jim Mendiola, and produced in San Antonio by Mendiola and Faith Radle, Muertos Fest 2020 will feature music, dance and spoken word performance, showcasing San Antonio’s unique take on Day of the Dead. It combines traditional elements of the celebration with more local approaches. As in years past, the heart of Muertos Fest is the specially built community altars, or ofrendas, honoring those who have passed on. For this year’s virtual event, a small group of altars will be featured in mini-documentaries for the television program, telling the stories of the altar makers and the subjects of their altars.

This year is the 25th anniversary of Selena’s passing, and the program will honor Selena’s legacy with a performance of “Fotos Y Recuerdos” featuring Nina Diaz and Chris Perez, accompanied by Mariachi Campanas De America and Ceci Zavala, and produced by Carlos Alvarez and Dany Zapata.

With the addition of music booker Alicia Zertuche to the team, Muertos Fest is offering an expanded musical lineup this year. Headliners for the television special include Grammy Award winning rock band Los Lobos; iconic Grammy Award winning singer Lila Downs; Latin Grammy winner Carla Morrison; and National Medal of Art recipient and San Antonio legend Santiago Jimenez Jr. Local favorites Los Nahuatlatos and Tallercito de Son will also be featured in live performances from unique San Antonio locations. The one-hour special will be hosted by actor and co-producer Jesse Borrego and KABB-TV (FOX29) anchor Mayde Gomez.

Rounding out the entertainment will be spoken word performances from San Antonio poets as well as short films by Ray Santisteban.

The broadcast is presented by Conviva and Bubble Bath Car Wash, with additional support from the City of San Antonio Metro Health and Hemisfair.  Conviva is primary care for seniors committed to aging well with locations in Texas and Florida. Bubble Bath Car Wash, locally owned and operated by the Lopez family, is San Antonio’s home of the three-minute car wash, offering six convenient tunnel wash locations featuring state-of-the-art technology, eco-friendly products and top-notch customer service.

In addition to the broadcast and stream, Hemisfair visitors will be able to view a community altar including photos submitted online, as well as art installations by Momo and Pompa, on display at the park through November 2.

Tune in to the CW35, October 31, at 7 p.m., for a special night of community, remembrance and celebration. For those outside of the San Antonio market, there will be an encore streaming with expanded content online at muertosfest.com on November 1, at 7 p.m. To learn more about Muertos Fest, visit MuertosFest.com.

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