Día de los Muertos is a Mexican holiday that honors the dead, and happens every year on Nov. 2. The holiday has its roots in Mesoamerican tradition, and though it is a Mexican holiday, it is also celebrated in the USA and throughout Latin America.

One major aspect of the holiday is the tradition of building an ofrenda, an altar, to remember your deceased family and friends. Customarily, ofrendas are filled with pictures of the dead, candles, marigolds (the flower of the dead), and the items they loved in life, including their favorite food and drinks.

This year, I had the opportunity to visit the Festival of Altars, a Día de los Muertos celebration in San Francisco, California. It is put on every year by the Marigold Project, an organization that, according to their website, “serves the community by creating healing spaces connecting us to our ancestors… to honor the circle of life and death.” The Marigold Project also provides cultural education, art and writing therapy workshops.

The Festival of Altars lasted from 4:00-11:00 pm, and took place at Potrero Del Sol Park on the corner of 25th Street and San Bruno Avenue in the Mission District. It was a free event open to the public, and everyone was invited to share in the culture.

There were five main altars built by the Marigold Project, each one representing a different theme: air, fire, water, earth, and self-love. Additionally, there were hundreds of smaller altars around the park which were set up by members of the community.

Many attendees wore traditional Mexican outfits, or dressed as La Catrina. La Catrina is the figure that represents death in Mexican culture, and she is a classic Día de los Muertos symbol. It was also common to see people with their faces painted as skeletons, or wearing flowers in their hair.

Above, click through the slideshow to view a collection of photos from the event.