Austin’s Mexic-Arte Museum held their 32nd annual Viva la Vida festival on Saturday. This downtown event celebrated the Mexican holiday, Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) which ends on November 2.

The activities started with a Grand Procession along East Sixth Street. The parade included mariachi bands, folk dancers, drum corps, calacas (skeletons), US Congressman Lloyd Doggett, and lots of costumed participants.

In past years, a street festival was held outside the Mexic Arte Museum. Due to weather concerns, this year’s festival was moved indoors to Brazos Hall on Fourth Street. The museum’s Executive Director, Sylvia Orozco, welcomed everyone and introduced the Mexican Consul General in Austin, Carlos González Gutiérrez. Speaking in Spanish and then English, he noted that Viva la Vida honors the dead and also celebrates life.

Lively Aztec dancers, as well as flamenco and samba dancers, performed on the Brazos Hall stage. The indoor space was crowded, so I only stayed about 30 minutes. A long line of people were waiting to get in when I left. Children’s activities were held under the covered entrance to the Frost Bank building, and the museum on Congress Avenue was open, too. Kudos to the Mexic-Arte Museum for organizing a fun and well-attended event!

© Austin Downtown Diary, 2015. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Austin Downtown Diary with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.