The center transformed into a sea of marigolds, candles, painted faces, and vibrant music for the festival on Nov. 1.

The route from the land of the dead to San Andrés Mixquic, a little town just outside Mexico City, is lined with marigolds.

A Mexican mayor who publicly decried drug cartels was assassinated in front of dozens of people gathered for Day of the Dead festivities, authorities said.

A mayor in Mexico’s western state of Michoacan was shot dead in a plaza in front of dozens of people who had gathered for Day ...