Día de los Muertos 2026 festival in San Elizario
SAN ELIZARIO, Texas — On Sunday, the historic San Elizario Placita hosted its annual Día de los Muertos Festival.
Families and friends gathered to honor loved ones while celebrating the resilience of Mexican heritage in San Elizario's art district.
Central to the holiday, community members built altars to display at the festival to honor passed family members and community icons.
"Growing up in Mexico. Of course, this is a way for me to remember who I am and where I come from. So, definitely. This is a celebration of my ancestors and my heritage." Said Miguel Chacón, Mayor of San Elizario.
The Placita filled up quickly with people of all ages celebrating, from Sgt. Roberto Ituarte Elementary School's cheer team to professional Catrinas.
"This tradition has really taken up in the United States. And we embrace who we are as Hispanics. And people sometimes misinterpret what the Día De Los Muertos is, but it's really a celebration of life and honoring those that have passed on," said Debra Venegas, a San Elizario Resident.
ABC-7 spoke with Miriam Herrera's family, who arrived at the event exceptionally early to start setting up their ofrenda. They set their ofrenda up on the hood of a car and placed their loved ones' favorite foods and things. The woman displaying the family photos is named Miriam Herrera.
For participants like Herrera, the holiday brings mixed emotions.
"The food we put out is what they loved to eat when they were alive," Herrera said.
She said the traditional belief holds that spirits return to visit during November.
"What they liked was coffee, soda, and candies. I miss and love them so much and one day soon, we will all be together again," she said.
Though she admits the day brings a touch of sadness, Herrera added that honoring her uncles, cousins, dad and pets through their favorite treats brings her a comforting sense of closeness to those she has lost.
Lorenzo Luevano, the manager of San Elizario Agriculture, helped put this event together. He told ABC-7 it took a little over two months to prepare and finalize everything.
"I worked together with El Paso county and we partnered up to create this event. This is our second annual event. Last year was a parade. This year we decided to focus everything within the Placita, because we want the community in the region to to take notice of the Placita. That way they can enjoy the Placita, the historic buildings, the mission and the museum," he said.
