San Francisco – The streets of the Mission District came alive on Monday as the 45th annual Día de los Muertos procession unfolded on 24th and Mission. Thick clouds of copal incense and sage rose from the crowd, while Aztec dancers in feathered headdresses beat rhythmic steps, sending vibrations through their ayayote cuffs and blowing a conch shell to bless the five directions.
Remembering four pillars of the celebration
El Colectivo del Rescate Cultural, the volunteer group that organizes the parade, used the procession to honor four key figures who helped build the event into a Bay Area staple. Maria Lopez, a longtime organizer and close friend of the honorees, carried standards bearing their likenesses as the march moved through the neighborhood.
Juan Pablo Gutiérrez Sánchez – an openly gay LGBTQ activist, artist and founding member of the collective – created the slogan “our dead are not for sale,” refusing corporate advertising in the parade. He introduced the estandares (standards) to the celebration decades ago and his image appeared on a standard for the fifth consecutive year. Sánchez died on Dec. 26, 2021 at age 68.
Luis de la Garza, Sánchez’s best friend, succeeded him as director of the collective, overseeing planning and fundraising. A dedicated LGBTQ advocate, de la Garza found community later in life at Openhouse, a center for LGBTQ elders in the Castro. He founded the Leadership Council of Queerness, Race, and Privilege and a queer elder writers’ workshop. He passed away on Aug. 31, 2026 at age 72.
Ricardo “El Tigre” Peña – a beloved Aztec dancer and owner of the Mixcoatl restaurant on 24th Street and South Van Ness – led the procession for years alongside Sánchez. Peña was a fixture in traditional Mexican celebrations throughout the Mission. He died of a heart attack on Dec. 8, 2025 at age 54.
Alberto Rangel, a social worker at the HIV clinic Ward 86 at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, took over the creation of the estandares after Sánchez’s death. Rangel was fatally stabbed on Dec. 4, 2025 at age 51.
Community carries the tradition forward
This year, volunteers and Lopez herself crafted new estandares to keep the tradition alive. Louie Gutierrez, director of Danza Azteca Coyolxauhqui, has led the Aztec dancers since 1991. He recalled how de la Garza encouraged him to begin dancing after they met as students at UC Berkeley.
When de la Garza passed, Gutierrez admitted he felt lost, but he resolved to push the celebration into “fourth gear” and continue the procession. The crowd responded with reverence, honoring the spirits of the departed while celebrating the living community that sustains the event.
Why the parade matters
The Día de los Muertos procession is more than a cultural showcase; it is a testament to the Mission’s vibrant, multigenerational community. By refusing corporate sponsorship and emphasizing grassroots organization, the collective upholds a tradition that honors both heritage and the dignity of the departed.
As the incense cleared and the drums faded, participants left with a renewed sense of purpose – to keep the memory of these four leaders alive and to ensure the parade remains a beacon of cultural pride for years to come.
Original reporting: Mission Local — read the source article.
