Actress, producer, director and philanthropist Eva Longoria will celebrate Día de Los Muertos in San Antonio as the grand marshal of the Catrinas on the River Parade. San Antonio’s first-ever Día de Los Muertos river parade, Catrinas on the River will illuminate downtown San Antonio with the spirit of the Day of the Dead this Friday, November 1 from 7p.m to 8:30p.m. (Day of the Dead San Antonio, 2019)

A Screen Actors Guild Award winner and Golden Globe nominee, Longoria is not only known for her storied acting career, but for her commitment to charitable causes. Longoria is a champion of charities and organizations supporting Latinos and has been honored several times with American Latino Media Arts awards. She was selected in 2006 as ALMA’s “person of the year.”

Presented by Day of the Dead San Antonio and co-hosted by official parade partner Rey Feo Consejo Educational Foundation, the Catrinas on the River Parade features more than 22 barges spotlighting local San Antonio organizations, special guests and dignitaries. Unlike anything before seen on the San Antonio River, 16 of the barges are trajineras, colorful barges that mirror the flat-bottom gondola-like trajineras seen in Xochimilco, a UNESCO World Heritage Site south of Mexico City. San Antonio’s famous Go Rio barges will join the trajineras for a fabulous night on the river. Both Go Rio and the San Antonio River Walk Association are partners in the parade. Seat sales for the parade benefit the Rey Feo Scholarship Foundation, which provides scholarships to local children. KSAT12/ABC will air the Catrinas on the River Parade live on November 1, from 7p.m. to 10p.m. The three-hour live broadcast will feature the parade, the festival opening and family fun for everyone to enjoy.

Catrinas on the River features a Catrine and Catrina. The parade’s first-ever Catrine and Catrina are Dick Tips, Chairman and CEO of Mission Park Funeral Chapels and Cemeteries, and his wife, Kristin Tips, the President and Funeral Director of Mission Park Funeral Chapels and Cemeteries. Catrines and Catrinas, elegantly dressed smiling skeleton figures, are an essential part of Day of the Dead festivities. The Tips will be featured on a special barge during the parade.

The inaugural Day of the Dead San Antonio Festival will offer free admission across all three days of celebration, November 1 through November 3. Decorative characters and engaging activities featuring live music and performances, workshops, children’s activities and Mexican food, drinks and shopping are the highlights of this family-friendly event. On Saturday November 2 there will be a Celebrate Life 5K Run-Walk at Mission Park Funeral Chapels and Cemeteries South. The race will be held entirely within the cemetery, allowing runners to connect with the spirits of those who have passed. La Villita will be filled again with festive celebration glowing throughout the evening. Then the event will conclude with an afternoon of family fun and remembrance on Sunday, November 3.

Arneson River Theater
418 Villita St
San Antonio, TX 78205