Todos Santos Announces Month-Long Festival Lineup for Fall Visitors

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If you are booking a trip to Los Cabos this fall, you are likely planning your itinerary around the standard luxury staples: relaxing by the resort pool, chartering a boat to the Arch, and securing reservations at high-end steakhouses along the Tourist Corridor.

But if you want to experience the true, authentic cultural heartbeat of the Baja Peninsula, you need to look slightly outside the resort bubble.

Located just an hour’s drive north of Cabo San Lucas on the Pacific coast, the historic art town of Todos Santos has officially announced a massive, month-long cultural agenda for the fall season. From the end of October through late November, this quiet Pueblo Mágico (Magic Town) will completely transform, hosting three major, back-to-back festivals celebrating Mexican cinema and the deeply traditional Day of the Dead.

If you want to trade your all-inclusive buffet for an immersive cultural experience, here is exactly why you need to rent a car and head up the coast this fall.

The International Documentary Film Festival (Oct 29–31)

The cultural marathon kicks off with the first-ever Todos Santos International Documentary Film Festival. Held at the historic General Manuel Márquez de León Theater, this highly curated event will screen six incredible documentaries over three days.

This is not a casual movie night; the festival is drawing serious talent. Directors, producers, and actors from across the national and international film industry will be in attendance to discuss their work.

Highlights of the program include Hasta este momento más tarde (Until This Moment Later), a powerful documentary following the first Rarámuri concert pianist, and 45 días en Harvard (45 Days at Harvard), a gripping film shot entirely inside the Puente Grande prison in Jalisco. If you are a fan of independent cinema, this is a rare opportunity to watch incredible Mexican storytelling and interact directly with the filmmakers in an intimate, historic setting.

Day of the Dead Festival (Nov 1–2)

Immediately following the documentary festival, the energy in the town shifts to one of the most vibrant, emotional, and visually stunning holidays in the country: Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead).

The Francisco I. Madero public plaza will serve as the epicenter for the tenth edition of the Todos Santos Day of the Dead Festival. The entire square will be transformed by a massive Altar Mayor (Main Altar), draped in bright orange marigolds and glowing with candles.

The two-day celebration is deeply community-focused. You can walk the plaza to sample incredible regional gastronomy, purchase handmade goods from local artisans, and watch traditional music and dance performances. The absolute highlight of the festival is the Catrinas and Catrines costume contest. Watching locals parade through the square with elaborate, hand-painted skull makeup and stunning traditional dresses is a bucket-list photographic experience.

Todos Santos Film Festival (Nov 23–29)

To close out the month, the town hosts its massive flagship event: the 21st edition of the Todos Santos Film Festival.

Spanning an entire week, this festival is dedicated entirely to showcasing the best new cinema emerging from Baja California Sur, mainland Mexico, and across Latin America. The agenda is packed with feature film screenings, interactive workshops, special industry activities, and exclusive meetings with special guests tied to the seventh art.

It is the perfect excuse to spend a few days exploring the independent shops, art galleries, and historic architecture of Todos Santos during the day, before settling into a theater to watch cutting-edge Latin American cinema at night.

Los Cabos will always have incredible luxury resorts and perfect weather, but if you want to connect with the soul of the peninsula this fall, point your rental car north and spend a weekend in Todos Santos.