Northeast News | Dia de los Muertos at the Kansas City Museum

Dia de los Muertos at the Kansas City Museum

By admin | Posted October 23rd, 2018 |

Abby Cambiano

Northeast News

The Kansas City Museum and Mattie Rhodes Center partnered on Saturday, October 20 to celebrate Dia de los Muertos with face painting, art, a quincenera gown fashion show by Giselle Bridal, decorating sugar skulls, a marionette show by Stone Lion Puppet Theatre, Mexican food trucks, drinks and more. The fall weather made for a beautiful day filled with dancing, music, friendship and traditions as visitors left notes to loved ones on the ofrenda.

“This partnership that we have with the Kansas City Museum is five years strong and it’s great to be able to celebrate dia de los muertos not just at Mattie Rhodes but at different places around Kansas City. It’s such an amazing celebration of life and death and being able to educate people on its importance so people don’t get confused. When they see a skeleton and automatically think Halloween, so being able to make sure that they understand the significance of remembering our loved ones that have passed on in a very positive light and how the altar — ofrenda — really represents them in their life and in their death.” – Jenny Mendez, Mattie Rhodes Director of Cultural Arts

If you missed this event, you can still catch the Calaca Night Parade on Friday, November 4, beginning at 7 p.m. from TACC and led by KC Parks Partner Stone Lion Puppet Theater highlighting giant lit up puppets including Dead Betty! The parade winds through the Westside neighborhood and everyone is welcome to join in on the fun! Live music, good food and amazing altars and art will be on display in the gallery!

More information available here.

We’ve included numerous photos of Sunday’s event at the Kansas City Museum:

“Hecho KC is a home decor studio with cultural roots. I love the space, being here at Kansas City Museum, the family that comes together every year — we do it for 5 years now — it’s just amazing to see all the people that come out, especially when it’s a beautiful day, and today’s the same.” – Luis Garcia

“This is a great event where kids of all races can learn about the beautiful tradition of the day of the dead. They have to come here, it’s free, the weather’s perfect, and I mean it’s something that is going to go on for years and it’s been going on for hundreds and hundreds of years” – Ana Hernandez, photo right

“It’s my first time this year so I was very excited to dress up and have my face painted” – Joanna

“So today, the Calaca Revue, which is our marionette show about dia de los muertos will be performing at 3:15. This is a show that I developed in collaboration with Mattie Rhodes and all the work that we do in the west side to celebrate the day of the dead and it culminates on November 2nd with a giant calaca parade, which are huge illuminated puppets in the west side.“ – Heather from Stone Lion Puppet Theatre