Ten blocks close for free altar festival

The city center transforms into a pedestrian zone this Saturday as 10 downtown blocks close to traffic for the 19th annual Día de los Muertos Street Festival. The free event runs from 1 p.m. to midnight and serves as the primary cultural anchor for a weekend of celebrations across the Coastal Bend.

The festival features live music, art, food, and cultural performances. A central community ofrenda allows families to set up altars to honor deceased loved ones. The holiday tradition focuses on remembering the dead and celebrating their lives.

Simultaneous events target different audiences. The Villain Invasion Halloween Fest occupies the Holiday Inn Downtown Marina through Sunday. Weekend passes cost $20, while children 12 and under enter for free. Attendees can meet horror movie actors, enter costume contests, and join gaming tournaments. Visitors bringing two nonperishable food items to the Coastal Bend Food Bank receive a special-edition poster while supplies last.

Saturday morning brings the Monster Mash Cupcake Dash to Water's Edge Park. Participants can sign up for a 5K, a 10K, or a 2-mile walk. Dressing up is encouraged, and every finisher receives a cupcake. Proceeds go to Family Counseling Services, a local provider of mental health care.

Quieter options include family pumpkin painting at Asbury Methodist Church from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday. Families buy and decorate pumpkins together. The church's pumpkin patch stays open through Halloween. A new event, Hocus Pocus Corpus, debuts at the Hilliard Center from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday. The free gathering includes trick-or-treating, door prizes, a community resource fair, and a presentation on renters' rights.