Key Takeaways

  • The Night of Marigolds takes place on October 30, 2026, from 5:30 PM to 9:00 PM.

  • The event is hosted at Doghobble Wine Farm in Dahlonega, Georgia.

  • Tickets cost $150 per guest and include dinner, three wine tickets, and a framed keepsake.

  • Guests can enjoy traditional Mexican cuisine, estate wines, live storytelling, music, and ofrendas.

  • Attendees can submit a photo of a loved one to be displayed on an altar and take home afterward.

  • The event is limited to 100 guests aged 21 and older.

  • Reservations are required through Tock.

You can celebrate Day of the Dead at the Night of Marigolds, a Día de los Muertos dinner at Doghobble Wine Farm in Dahlonega on Friday, October 30, 2026, from 5:30 to 9:00 PM. The evening brings together ofrendas, live storytelling, an authentic holiday dinner and Doghobble estate wine, about an hour north of Atlanta. Seats are $150 per guest, limited to 100 guests, and open to adults 21 and up. Reserve your seats on Tock.

What does Día de los Muertos celebrate?

Día de los Muertos is a Mexican tradition, observed November 1 and 2, when families welcome home the spirits of loved ones who have passed. They build ofrendas, or home altars, filled with photographs, candles, water, pan de muerto and bright orange marigolds, called cempásuchil, whose color and scent are said to guide the spirits home. It’s a celebration of remembering, full of music, food and family.

What is the Night of Marigolds at Doghobble Wine Farm?

The Night of Marigolds is a live storytelling dinner among the vines, hosted by Sam and Robin Zamarripa with partners who carry the tradition as their own. Ofrenda artist Carla Fonseca builds five altars in the style of Michoacán. Tony Guerrero of Tochelle Media Group, a storyteller whose career spans radio, television and film, leads the stories of the night. The kitchen of Norsan Foods prepares the food of the season.

What happens during the evening?

The night moves from golden hour to candlelight in the Pavilion on the Plateau:

  • 5:30 PM: Estate wine at golden hour, hors d’oeuvres and live music from Paris Wheeler as the Catrinas arrive
  • 6:30 PM: An authentic Día de los Muertos dinner, served cocktail style
  • After 7 PM: The lights dim and a candlelight procession moves through the room, sung through “Recuérdame”
  • 8:45 PM: Guests receive their framed keepsakes
  • 9:00 PM: The evening comes to a close

Throughout the night, the Catrinas move among the tables to share the history and symbols of the holiday. Guests are encouraged to wander, linger at the altars and ask questions.

Can you bring a photo of a loved one to the ofrenda?

Yes. After you reserve, your confirmation email includes a link to upload a digital photo of someone you love and miss. Doghobble prints and frames it, places it on the altar for the evening, and you take the framed keepsake home at the end of the night. It’s included with every seat.

What food and wine are served?

Dinner comes from Norsan Foods and is served cocktail style, so you can move between stations with a glass in hand. The menu includes tamales, birria, elote, pan de muerto and warm ponche, with more dishes still being finalized. Every seat includes three drink tickets for your choice of Doghobble estate wines, and more wine is available by the glass or bottle.

How do you reserve a seat?

Reservations are required, and the evening is limited to 100 guests. Book your seats on Tock and upload your photo once your confirmation arrives. Questions can go to events@doghobblevineyard.com.

Day of the Dead is observed November 1 and 2. The Night of Marigolds takes place the Friday before, on October 30, 2026.

No. They fall close together and both feature skulls and candles, but Halloween plays with fear, while Día de los Muertos celebrates and remembers the people you’ve lost. At the Night of Marigolds, storyteller Tony Guerrero explains the difference.

La Catrina is the elegant skeleton in fine clothes and a wide hat. She began as satire in Mexican cartoons, a reminder that the wealthy share the same bones as everyone else. Catrinas at the event share her story along with calaveritas, playful poems written for the living.

In the Pavilion on the Plateau at Doghobble Wine Farm, 10 Roy Grindle Road, Dahlonega, GA 30533, about an hour north of Atlanta.

No. The Night of Marigolds is for guests 21 and up.

Mountain evenings get cool in late October, so bring a warm layer. Follow the lanterns and marigolds up to the pavilion when you arrive.

Yes. The evening is photographed discreetly, and every guest receives a private gallery afterward.

The wine farm is open for tastings daily, and the Wine Club is a good way to bring estate wines home. You can also host a private event of your own among the vines.

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