Wild Pony Hat Bar at Basila Frocks is altar #22 on the 2026 Día de los Muertos Tradition Trail, on display October 2 through November 2. Our ofrenda is up on San Antonio’s West Side for the whole run, and we’d love for you to come spend a few minutes with it.
We’re a hat bar, so being asked to build an altar for this city’s biggest tradition of remembering meant a lot to us. Below is a little on what an ofrenda is and how to work our stop into a day on the trail.
What is an ofrenda?
An ofrenda is an altar a family builds to welcome back the people they’ve lost. Día de los Muertos sits closer to a homecoming than a funeral. The ofrenda is how you get the house ready for company.
Nothing on it is there by accident:
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Marigolds (cempasúchil). Their color and scent are said to guide spirits home, which is why you’ll often see petals scattered in a path toward the altar.
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Candles, to light the way back.
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Papel picado. Cut paper banners that flutter with the smallest breeze, a reminder of how light and brief a life is.
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Photos of the people being honored, usually set up high.
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Food and drink. Pan de muerto, a glass of water for a long trip, and whatever that person loved. Somebody’s grandpa gets his coffee, black. Somebody’s tía gets the candy she always kept in her purse.
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Their things. A rosary, or the reading glasses they were always misplacing. Sometimes a hat.
No two look alike, and they aren’t supposed to. You can learn a lot about a person from what their family chose to put out for them.
When is Día de los Muertos?
The heart of it is November 1 and 2. Traditionally the first day is for children who’ve passed and the second is for adults. In San Antonio the season starts weeks earlier, and you’ll find altars and art going up across the city all through October.
Our ofrenda at Basila Frocks
Look closely and you’ll spot a pair of cowboy boots holding marigolds, one on each side of the altar.
Basila Frocks is a restored 1929 garment factory on the West Side, and the building has been part of this neighborhood for almost a hundred years. It felt like the right place for an altar about memory.
Our friends at Gallery Youngblood Art have an ofrenda at Basila too, and theirs is for the dogs. Painted portraits hang above a table with a food bowl and a leash tucked in among the marigolds, and there’s a little dog bed at the foot of it filled with more. If you’ve ever lost a pet, you’ll get it right away. They’re family, and they get a place on the altar like everyone else.
Take your time with it. You don’t need a ticket or a booking to visit, and you don’t need to buy anything.
Visiting the Tradition Trail
The trail is put together by the San Antonio River Walk and presented by Community First Health Plans. This year it has 23 altars, 10 alebrijes (the bright, fantastical folk art creatures) and 10 calaveras, all on display from October 2 to November 2. Most of it sits along the River Walk and the areas around it. You can download the full map from the Tradition Trail page, and you’ll find us at stop #22.
If you’d rather see the River Walk altars from the water, the Río de la Vida Tradition Trail Tour runs Tuesdays and Sundays at 7:30 PM, October 4 through November 1. It’s a 45 to 50 minute narrated boat ride, and the booking link is on the same page.
Basila is a short drive west of downtown, so it’s easy to pair with a River Walk afternoon. Come see the altars by the water, then head out Zarzamora way to finish at ours.
Wild Pony Hat Bar at Basila Frocks
502 N Zarzamora St Ste 103, San Antonio, TX 78207
Hat bar hours: Wednesday to Friday, 10 AM to 5 PM · Saturday, 10 AM to 4 PM
While you’re here
You’ll be standing in a hat bar, after all. If you’d like to leave with something, you can build a hat: pick your felt, then dress it up with a band and maybe a feather or two. Our stylists will help you pull it together, and hats start at $149 plus customization.
And if you join the Wild Pony email list before you come, show your welcome email at the counter and we’ll brand one symbol into your hat. Make your mark, on us.
FAQ
Does it cost anything to see the ofrenda?
No. Come by any time during the trail, no ticket or booking needed.
Where is Wild Pony on the Tradition Trail map?
We’re altar #22, listed as Wild Pony Hat Bar at Basila Frocks. The map is on the San Antonio River Walk’s Tradition Trail page.
How long is the ofrenda up?
Through November 2, 2026, the last day of the Tradition Trail.
Can I bring my kids?
Please do. An ofrenda’s a gentle way to talk with kids about family and the people we miss, and there’s a lot of color for them to take in.
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