Viva la Vida 2022 Parade

Date: Saturday, October 29, 2022
Parade staging: 9:00am – 12:00pm
Parade launch: 12:00pm; Noon

Grand Procession: 12:00–1:00pm
Location & Route: The parade will gather on 6th street between I-35 Southbound Frontage Road and Red River street, and travel west on 6th street to the festival location at 4th and Congress.
Admission: FREE

The Grand Procession brings together a vibrant and varied mix of traditional, ancient, contemporary, and Austin “Weird”. The Procession – including costumes, props, live music, dancers, and floats – marches down historic 6th Street and culminates at E. 4th Street and Congress Avenue.

The categories for this years event are:

• Intro – Special Section – The Monarch Butterfly.
• Pre-Columbian – A tribute to pre-columbian ancestors
• Mexico Lindo y Las Americas – Homage to Mexican & Las Americas traditions and icons
• Chicanx – Si Se Puede! – Homage to deceased Mexican American, Hispanic, Latinx/a/o, Chicanx/a/o and culture
• Austin Weird – Everything and anything that’s part of our Austin community.

Parade Guidelines:

All parade participants must agree to the following terms and conditions before beginning registration:

1. Each designated section (110 Fridas, catrinas, Tejanxs, etc.) must stay together for the entire length of the parade.
2. Children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult at all times.
3. No alcoholic beverages or glass containers are permitted.
4. No disorderly conduct, or offensive language/materials.
5. No candles or fire.
6. All dogs and other pets must be on a leash or held for the duration of the procession.
7. Participants are not allowed to throw candy, toys, or any other materials to parade viewers.
8. Participants agree to abide by disassemble instructions provide by Mexic-Arte Museum.

Mexic-Arte Museum’s 39th Annual Viva La Vida Festival and Parade is Austin’s largest and longest-running Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) event. Co-presented by the City of Austin, this year’s festival will take place on Saturday, October 29 at 4th Street and Congress Avenue. The festivities begin with a Grand Procession at noon. Festival activities run until 6 p.m. Participants can enjoy the Education Pavilion with hands-on art activities and artist demos, traditional foods, local artists and retail booths, a low-rider exhibition, and live performances throughout the day.

For questions about participating the parade, email .

The Monarch Butterfly

Special Section:
This year, the parade will include a section to honor and memorialize the souls of the children and teachers of Robb Elementary. As a way to pay tribute to the Uvalde students, Mexic-Arte is including the special section to commemorate those who have passed. The monarch butterfly represents strength, endurance, spirituality, trust, transformation, and evolution.  It is said –that the sight of the butterfly can serve as inspiration to be strong and to guide us through life’s challenges.

Pre-Columbian

Pre-Columbian Americas refers to the time period when indigenous civilizations flourished in the Americas, such as the Aztec, Maya, Toltec, Olmec, Mixtec, and Inca. During these times, death was not feared, but rather celebrated and ritualized. Life, full of uncertainty and hardship, was a passage or journey to a heavenly afterlife. Participants in this category among others includes: Aztec and Matachine Dancers, Drumming, and Chihuahua Dog Associations.

Mexico Lindo y Las Americas

 The beginning of Porfirio Díaz’s rule in Mexico resulted in the creation of a new Mexican national identity based on its Pre-Columbian past and manifested in Mexico’s modern arts. In 1913, José Guadalupe Posada created a famous print called “La Calavera de la Catrina” as a parody of a Mexican upper class female. In addition to the indigenous and Catholic traditions, the satirical portrayal of death in the form of a skeleton has since become associated with The Day of the Dead. This section includes La Catrina, Soldaderas, Revolucionarios, Frida Kahlo, and Ballet Folklorico.

Chicanx – Si Se Puede!

Celebrate icons, symbols and culture that represent Chicanismo. Chicanismo was shaped by a number of intellectuals and influential activists such as Ritchie Valens, Sylvia Rivera, and Dolores Huerta. As well as by the artistic and political sphere, and the many contributors to the ideology collaborated to create a strong sense of self-identity within the Chicano community!

Austin Weird

Happening now in Austin! Be a part of history and help us create a new fusion of Mexican Día de los Muertos and American Halloween traditions. Austin Weird category includes everything else.