Monarchs & Marigolds

Día de los Muertos is a traditional Latin American holiday that honors and celebrates the lives of family and friends who have gone before us. The common theme throughout the two-day celebration, traditionally held on November 1 and 2, is the belief that the dead return home, visit loved ones, and feast on their favorite foods. ​

In preparation for forthcoming Día de los Muertos celebrations — in which monarchs and marigolds serve as symbols of remembrance — we invite you to join MECA and the Houston Botanic Garden for Monarchs & Marigolds, as we celebrate our past and honor our future, through music, dance, and visual arts. Take a stroll past thousands of marigolds on the way to the South Gardens, where you can shop with vendors selling authentic Latin American arts and crafts, enjoy live music and dance performances, and complete family-friendly themed craft projects. The Garden’s entomologist will also present on the fall monarch migration.

Event Schedule

• 10:00 a.m. – Ambassadors International Ballet Folklorico Soloist Martha De La Paz 
• 10:30 a.m. – Mexico Folklorico Dance Ensemble 
• 11:00 a.m. – Nancy Ilyria (Norteño) 
• 12:00 p.m. – Ermelinda Cuellar and Friends (Jazz)
• 1:00 p.m. – Band Sin Nombre (Tango)
• 2:00 p.m. – Monarch Migration with Entomologist Erin Mills
• 3:00 p.m. – Mariachi Bella Vida 

Like all of the Garden’s five annual festivals, Monarchs & Marigolds tickets are $20/adult, $16/child/student/senior/military. Members can use the free general admission benefit(s) associated with their level of membership to attend at no additional charge.

Houston Botanic Garden offers free parking for daytime events, which are rain or shine.