By: Steven Lindsey & Rosin Saez | From: Thrillist

Grief can be such a heavy thing to carry, but, as with labor, many hands make light work. Día de Muertos, a holiday founded on collective healing, knows this well. Together, families and friends gather to remember, honor, and grieve passed loved ones and ancestors. It’s by facing sorrow and death in community that allows Día de Muertos to be such a lively celebration. And with a deep Mexican history, Texas goes big on this holiday.

This age-old tradition traces back to the Aztecs. It’s an event celebrated throughout the world, but you’d be hard-pressed to find a better place to participate than San Antonio, which stages Día de Muertos events bigger and better than any city in Texas—and, likely, in the entire US.

Also known as Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, the holiday allows families and friends to devote some time and creativity to honor their dearly departed loved ones with ofrendas (altars). From simple to elaborate, ofrendas are often adorned with vibrant orange cempasúchil, photos of family, and beloved foods, including tamales and pan de muerto. Día de Muertos truly honors lives, well-lived.

It’s well worth the visit to San Antonio to experience how they actually do days of the Dead, with parades, festivals, cultural events, and more throughout the city.

Drive Time:

4.5 hours from Dallas
1.5 hours from Austin
3 hours from Houston

This year, San Antonio kicks off its celebrations on Friday, October 25 with official events running through November 7. The Day of the Dead River San Antonio Parade is a festive display of pageantry. Many businesses along the route offer special packages and seating options, including The Day of the Dead River Experiencehosted by The Westin Riverwalk, San Antonio. Events at nearby La Villita keep the holiday going all weekend long.

Also taking place the weekend before Día de Muertos, the 12th Annual Día de los Muertos at Hemisfair features a variety of outdoor activities, live music, food and art vendors.

On November 1, commemorate Día de Muertos at Esperanza Peace & Justice Center’s Rinconcito de Esperanza. The festivities center on a community ofrenda, but also include a procession that anyone can participate in—and dress for in costume—as well as live music, readings of literary ofrendas to remember the dead, and Calavera poems that poke fun at the living and their untimely encounters with death.

Then November 2–7, Centro Cultural Aztlan presents its 47th Annual Altares y Ofrendas, one of the city’s longest-standing Día de los Muertos celebrations complete with gallery tours and elaborate and heartfelt altars designed by local artists.

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One more thing to do outdoors: It might seem like one of the most glaringly obvious suggestions, but the River Walk lives up to its reputation as the literal number one tourist attraction in all of Texas. Nearby, San Antonio’s Latin heritage is on full blast at Market Square. Its staple feature, El Mercado, includes a long list of Southwestern and Mexican vendors and artisans whose goods range from luchador masks to traditional pottery to handmade jewelry. In the market’s center is a stage where mariachis, bands, and Folklorico dancers often perform, filling the space with Latin music and festive spirit.

One thing to eat: There are few dining experiences in San Antonio, nay Texas, quite like Mixtli. The Southtown restaurant, going strong for more than a decade, takes its namesake to heart: Mixtli means “clouds” and like the floating tuffs the menu travels all around Mexico’s vast culinary settings both in flavor and story. It’s an ambitious mission. But Mixtli navigates the country’s diversity of culture and foods well through a tasting menu, mostly recently exploring Guerrero and Michoacán. Begin with a corn esquites tart and finish with a corn custard, with stops of smoked hibiscus mole and braised beef tongue along the way.

One place to shop: In the Pearl district, the Pullman Market made its late summer debut with a multiconcept, stall-packed shopping center that feels like an indoor farmers’ market. Watch tortillas—destined for the market’s restaurants and taco spot—get pressed and packaged next to a dried flower stand and seafood counter, which hawks five different fresh ceviches. A pasta counter, wine shop, bakery, coffee and sandwich corner, plus fresh produce are among its many offerings. Connected to Pullman is Isidore, a shining example of modern Texas cuisine that, much like Texans, talks a big game and have the chops to back it up. Which is to say: Isidore’s commitment to Texas ingredients and flavors is clear on its menu. Red snapper from the wood-fired hearth, dry-aged pork rib chop with cowboy caviar, popcorn chicken with popcorn velouté and house hot sauce—a dish so good, folks are begging for a chicken joint spinoff—are just a few of many ways Isidore honors Texas in its own way.

The place to stay: A former brewery turned Michelin-lauded stay, Hotel Emma at the Historic Pearl District marries industrial bones with luxury furnishings. Sip a cocktail near the guest-only library or sit in a beer mash tun that’s become a semi-private booth next to the hotel coffee shop. Every nook here is a slice of preserved history alongside a modern touch. It comes with a price tag to match its amenities but is well worth the splurge. Plus its epic location in the Pearl district has no shortage of restaurants and things to do nearby.

If you’re there during Día de Muertos, the hotel is hosting a holiday multicourse menu ($130) on November 1. It’ll feature ingredients like Blue Fin tuna with salsa macha, lobster salpicón, braised beef tongue with huitlacoche, grilled venison with red mole, and more Latin-inspired flavors.