Pirate: Contemporary Art in Lakewood holds its 42nd Annual Día de los Muertos Celebration on Friday, November 6, 2026, from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. The FREE evening features Grupo Huitzilopochtli performing Aztec dance at approximately 7 p.m., piñatas for children and adults, and a candlelight procession.
The celebration takes place alongside the 40 West Arts District’s Día de los Muertos Colfax Art Crawl, part of Denver Arts Week’s First Friday festivities. Visitors can explore galleries and studios, experience art honoring Latino and Indigenous storytelling traditions, and contribute a photograph or small keepsake of a loved one to a community ofrenda.
Pirate was among the early gathering places that helped establish public Día de los Muertos celebrations in Colorado. A 1984 La Voz Hispana de Colorado article documents a KUVO-produced celebration at Pirate’s former Navajo Street gallery, featuring altars, art, music, dance, and student-made papel picado.
Participating artists included Bob Luna, Tony Ortega, Jerry de la Cruz, Daniel Salazar, Carlos Sandoval, and others who helped lay the groundwork for celebrations now held throughout the region.
Pirate’s connection with the Chicano Humanities & Arts Council (CHAC) reaches back at least to 1986. An October 24, 1986, Rocky Mountain News article documents a CHAC-sponsored Día de los Muertos arts series that included an altar exhibition at Pirate and a candlelight procession from Our Lady of Guadalupe Church to the gallery.
Pirate brought its longstanding tradition to 40 West in 2017, becoming a central gathering place for the district’s celebration. CHAC joined the district in 2022, opening its Lakewood gallery with a celebration featuring Grupo Huitzilopochtli.
Their presence in 40 West carries forward a connection rooted in Denver’s Chicano arts community four decades ago, bringing longtime participants together with new neighbors through exhibitions, dance, and remembrance.
For more than 30 years, Grupo Huitzilopochtli has been part of Pirate’s annual tradition, bringing generations together through dance and cultural expression. Its continued participation honors the legacy of its late founder, Raúl Chávez Portillo, whose teaching and community leadership helped sustain Aztec dance in Colorado.
This year’s gathering carries forward the contributions of Chávez Portillo, Luna, and the many artists, dancers, families, and volunteers who shaped the celebration. From its early Denver gatherings to its home in Lakewood, Pirate remains a place to remember loved ones, share traditions, and welcome the next generation.
7130 W. 16th Ave., Lakewood.
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