Visit Kansas City, Kansas, is sponsoring the Central Avenue Betterment Association’s fifth annual Day of the Dead festival from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 5, spanning 10 blocks with 10 stages of performances.
The event will be centered at 1120 Central Ave. in Kansas City, Kansas, and feature a variety of events including Calaveritas skull face painting, wandering Catrinas, live entertainment, a nighttime parade and more.
Day of the Dead is a multi-day Mexican holiday focusing on gatherings of family and friends to ask for the wellbeing of and remember friends and family members who have died and help support their spiritual journey.
Activities
Face painting: 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
Makeup modules will be installed along the parade route and makeup artists will do face painting, called Calaveras.
Food, art, ofrendas, car show: 12-9 p.m.
A lineup of over 60 food vendors will be on-site selling traditional Mexican food, including Day of the Dead bread, a traditional sweet bread, throughout the event. A low-rider car show and Ofrenda competition, a Mexican tradition which involves offerings placed in a home altar, will take place during the day.
Live entertainment: 2-6 p.m.
Explore the rich and colorful music of Mexico with several local artists and performers at 10 stages located along the avenue, including performances by Omar Cano, Alba Lopez, Alvaro Villalpando and more.
Mini Catrina contest: 3 p.m.
Children ages 8-14 can participate in a Mini Catrina contest. Participants are required to wear full Catrina decorative makeup and wear attire according to the theme established by the tradition of the celebration. The awards for the Mini Catrina contest will take place at 3 p.m. on Stage 7. For more information and to sign up for the Mini Catrina contest, visit https://www.cabakck.org/copy-of-catrina-queen-of-dia-de-muertos.
Walking Catrinas: 3-6 p.m.
Women will dress as La Catrina, an elegantly dressed skeleton that is an iconic symbol of Day of the Dead. The women will walk around the event and take pictures with visitors between 3 and 6 p.m.
Parade: 6-7:30 p.m.
The nighttime parade will feature monumental Calaveras, decorated floats, and Catrinas dancing from N. Tremont Street and Central Avenue to 16th Street and Central Avenue, along with local business, clubs, cars amd dance groups.
For more information about the Day of the Dead festival, please visit https://www.cabakck.org/dia-de-muertos.
For more information about Visit KCK, visit www.visitkansascityks.com, or follow Visit KCK on Facebook at www.facebook.com/VisitKansasCityKS, Instagram at @visitkansascityks, Twitter at @VisitKCK, and on TikTok at @visitkck.
-Visit KCK