Día de los Muertos at the Nelson-Atkins

The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art is getting ready for its annual Día de los Muertos Festival, which falls on Sunday, November 1, from 10 am to 4 pm. It's a free, all-ages celebration honoring the spirits of loved ones who have passed, and everything on the program — the performances, the demos, the artmaking — comes at no cost. General admission to the museum and the festival is free, though the museum asks you to register in advance for a smoother check-in.

The festival splits its programming between the two buildings. In the Nelson-Atkins building, the Atkins Auditorium is the hub for folkloric dance, with Grupo Folklórico del Sol at 10:45, Los Bailadores de Kansas City at 12:10, Grupo Folklórico Alma Tapatía at 1:45, and Grupo Folklórico Izcalli at 3:15. El Mariachi plays in Kirkwood Hall from 11 am to noon, and a photo session with La Calavera Catrina runs from 1 to 2 pm. Over in the Bloch Building, the lobby stage keeps moving: Mariachi Fuego de Kansas City opens at 10, Ballet ItsÏ Asuli dances at 11:45, Mariachi Habanero plays two sets starting at 12:30 and 1:45, and the Aztecs Folklorico Dance Group from Guadalupe Centers Elementary performs at 1:30. There's also a photo session with the giant marionette Elena Lucía and a second Catrina photo op from 12 to 1 pm.

Between the performances, there's plenty to do at your own pace. In the Nelson-Atkins building, a learning station in Gallery 210 features 'Nuestra Señora del Rosario' by José Manuel Benavides, artist demonstrations run in Classroom 6, and an alebrijes video at the Educator Resource Center shows Mexican artist Miguel Bolívar discussing the giant hummingbird alebrije he spent five weeks building here in Kansas City. In the Bloch Building, you can make a paper finger puppet in Lens 2, see Betsabeé Romero's 'Espiral sin fin' on Level 1, and catch a drawing demonstration by Emiliano Zapata in the Spencer Art Reference Library. If you're bringing kids, the library also hosts bilingual stories with the KCK South Branch Library at 11:15 and 11:45, and there's a low-sensory-stimulation rest room in the Rockhill Room for when things get a bit much.

Food is a big part of the day. The Tamale Kitchen food truck marks ten years at the festival on North Plaza Drive from 11 am to 3 pm, Yoli Tortillería sets up in Classrooms 4 and 5, and Mexican à la Carte is available in the Bloch Lobby from 11 am to 2 pm. Rozzelle Court Restaurant serves lunch from 11 to 2 and coffee and dessert from 2 to 4, with gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegetarian options. If you're a museum member, you can pick up a free festival pin at the Bloch Lobby info desk between 10 am and 5 pm.

If you want to keep the celebration going, the festival's altar, 'Camino de los recuerdos,' stays on view in Kirkwood Hall through November 2, and the Mattie Rhodes Cultural Arts Center holds its Calaca Night Parade on November 6. The museum is at 4525 Oak Street, with its parking garage at 45th and Oak — $20 per vehicle, free for members and guests with ADA placards. For the full schedule, head to ArtAndSoulKC.org.