Altar Milonga
a tango ritual
Altar
Milonga
a tango ritual
Video by Lynne Earls
Dance with us
Altar Society occupies a historic building constructed as a Masonic Temple in 1903. The space is epic and legendary, like the tango. The Altar Milonga occurs a few times a year, around sacred ritual days. The next date will be announced in early 2026.
Dance with us
Altar Society occupies a historic building constructed as a Masonic Temple in 1903. The space is epic and legendary, like the tango. The Altar Milonga occurs a few times a year, around sacred ritual days. The next date will be announced in early 2026.
Altar Milonga: Night of Spirits
The first Altar Milonga was held on Monday, Nov. 3, 2025 at Altar Society, 230 Pine Ave., Long Beach, CA
DANCING: 8pm-midnight
DJ: LYNNE
ADMISSION: $20
This is a non-profit community event. All proceeds support our donation-based tango classes and practicas in Long Beach.
- Bring a photograph or symbol of a personal ancestor to place on the community altar.
- Enjoy signature cocktails by Elena’s Elixirs: Wisdom of the Past and El Abrazo Final
- Guest artist Paul Michael Montelongo will show his gorgeous Dia de los Muertos artwork as part of this event.
- Dress to honor the ancestors.
PARKING
Street parking is limited and meters run until 9pm. We suggest parking in one of the three large public parking structures nearby, immediately east of Pine Ave. Entrances to these lots are on 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th streets. Free for the first 2 hours, $2/half hour after that.
In honor of Dia de los Muertos, we invite you to dance through the veil between worlds to honor our tango ancestors at the very first Altar Milonga in Long Beach, hosted by Long Beach Tango and our generous partner Altar Society Brewing & Coffee Co.
In reality, every milonga is a dance with the ancestors. We tango to the recordings of musicians long since passed through the veil, to the echoes of epic embraces and countless steps on the floorboards. Tango spirits float among us in the ronda. I like to think they bless our dancing as we carry the tango forward through time in our living bodies.
LISTEN TO OUR STORY ON THE LEAD & FOLLOW PODCAST:
The Tango Waits for You
An audio documentary that tells the story of the first year of Long Beach Tango, created by Sharna Fabiano
What Makes Tango So Compelling
A reverse interview with podcast host Sharna Fabiano and Actor/Director Dan Istrate
Altar Milonga: Night of Spirits
The first Altar Milonga was held on Monday, Nov. 3, 2025 at Altar Society, 230 Pine Ave., Long Beach, CA
DANCING: 8pm-midnight
DJ: LYNNE
ADMISSION: $20
This is a non-profit community event. All proceeds support our donation-based tango classes and practicas in Long Beach.
- Bring a photograph or symbol of a personal ancestor to place on the community altar.
- Enjoy signature cocktails by Elena’s Elixirs: Wisdom of the Past and El Abrazo Final
- Guest artist Paul Michael Montelongo will show his gorgeous Dia de los Muertos artwork as part of this event.
- Dress to honor the ancestors.
PARKING
Street parking is limited and meters run until 9pm. We suggest parking in one of the three large public parking structures nearby, immediately east of Pine Ave. Entrances to these lots are on 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th streets. Free for the first 2 hours, $2/half hour after that.
More Details
In honor of Samhain, or Dia de los Muertos, we invite you to dance through the veil between worlds to honor our tango ancestors at the very first Altar Milonga in Long Beach, hosted by Long Beach Tango and our generous partner Altar Society Brewing & Coffee Co.
In reality, every milonga is a dance with the ancestors. We tango to the recordings of musicians long since passed through the veil, to the echoes of epic embraces and countless steps on the floorboards. Tango spirits float among us in the ronda. I like to think they bless our dancing as we carry the tango forward through time in our living bodies.
LISTEN TO OUR STORY ON THE LEAD & FOLLOW PODCAST:
The Tango Waits for You
An audio documentary that tells the story of the first year of Long Beach Tango, created by Sharna Fabiano
What Makes Tango So Compelling
A reverse interview with podcast host Sharna Fabiano and Actor/Director Dan Istrate
Photos by Andrei Andreev (IG: andreimoment)
“Tango…is who we are: it is both physical and spiritual.”
OSVALDO GOLIJOV
Elena’s Elixers
Signature cocktails designed for one night only. Elena’s Elixirs, by Elena Filatova.
Wisdom of the Past
Ilegal Joven Mezcal • Largo Bay Coquito Liqueur • Cacao Liqueur • Fresh Lime Juice • Ancho Reyes Chile Liqueur • Egg White • Aztec Cacao Bitters
Garnished with fresh nutmeg and floating marigold
From the high deserts of Oaxaca to the sun-warmed shores of the Caribbean, this cocktail traces an invisible thread through the Americas—where every region honors those who came before. In Mexico, marigolds (cempasúchitl) carpet the paths for Día de los Muertos. Guatemala flies giant barriletes for Día de Todos Los Santos. Bolivia shapes bread into guaguas de pan for Día de Todos los Difuntos. Peru, Ecuador, El Salvador—each has its own name, its own ritual, yet all share the same November vigil.
This drink brings together ingredients with no obvious reason to meet, yet they dance in surprising harmony.
Un Abrazo Final
Tequila Reposado • Malbec • Fresh Lime Juice • Grenadine • Araceli Marigold Liqueur • Fernet-Branca
Sea salt rim, finished with a spritz of rose and marigold for fragrance
On Día de los Muertos, the veil between worlds grows thin. The living and the dead draw close—not in sorrow, but in celebration, in one final dance of remembrance. This cocktail honors that tender moment when memory becomes presence, when those we’ve lost feel near enough to touch.
Salt crystallizes like tears along the rim. Fernet-Branca whispers bitter truths of departure. Grenadine holds the sweetness of stolen moments, while Malbec bleeds with the complexity of love and loss. Tequila and marigold become golden offerings, guiding souls homeward, while rose and marigold scent lingers at the threshold between worlds.