Corpus Christi opens downtown for free 10-block Day of the Dead festival

Downtown Corpus Christi will host the 19th Día de los Muertos Street Festival on Saturday. The free event spans 10 city blocks and runs from 1 p.m. to midnight. Organizers are providing live music, art, food, and cultural performances for attendees.

A community ofrenda will be available for families to honor deceased loved ones. The holiday focuses on remembering those individuals and celebrating the lives they lived.

The festival is part of a larger weekend of activities in the Coastal Bend region. Villain Invasion Halloween Fest occupies the Holiday Inn Downtown Marina on Saturday and Sunday. Attendees can meet horror movie actors, enter costume contests, and join gaming tournaments. Weekend passes start at $20, and children 12 and under enter for free. Visitors who bring two nonperishable food items for the Coastal Bend Food Bank receive a special-edition poster while supplies last.

The Monster Mash Cupcake Dash returns to Water's Edge Park on Saturday morning. Participants can run a 5K, a 10K, or a 2-mile walk while in costume. Every finisher receives a cupcake. Proceeds support Family Counseling Services, a mental health provider in the area.

Asbury Methodist Church hosts family pumpkin painting from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday. Families can purchase pumpkins and decorate them on site. The church's pumpkin patch remains open through Halloween. Hocus Pocus Corpus also debuts at the Hilliard Center on Saturday from noon to 3 p.m. The free event offers trick-or-treating, door prizes, a resource fair, and a presentation on renters' rights.