A Latin American festival featuring folkloric dance, live music, artist demonstrations, artmaking activities and traditional cuisine, with the Tamale Kitchen food truck.
The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art hosts its annual Día de los Muertos Festival on Sunday, November 1, from 10 AM to 4 PM. It's a Latin American holiday for honoring the spirits of loved ones who have passed on, and the festival has become a fall tradition for many Kansas City families, celebrating Latin American cultures through art, entertainment and traditional cuisine.
The day's program runs on folkloric dance performances, live music, artist demonstrations, and artmaking activities. For food, the Tamale Kitchen food truck will be on the North Plaza Drive from 11 AM to 3 PM, and the Bloch Lobby will serve Mexican-inspired small plates. The festival draws on the museum's featured artist, 2026 artist-in-residence Emiliano Zapata.
Running alongside the festival is this year's altar installation, Path of Memories, on display in Kirkwood Hall from October 24 to November 2. It's a collaborative project by the Mattie Rhodes Cultural Art Center, the Consulate of Mexico in Kansas City, and Guadalupe Centers High School Impact Academy, along with local artists, organizations and students. The Mattie Rhodes Cultural Center has hosted Día de los Muertos ofrenda exhibitions, school workshops and events for more than twenty years. The Tamale Kitchen food truck has been a fixture at the festival for ten years, and its profits support social purpose in the Hispanic community.
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Admission to the museum and entry to the festival are both free, though advance registration is encouraged. Parking is $20 per vehicle in the Nelson-Atkins parking garage at 45th and Oak Streets, and free for museum members and guests with ADA placards.
