Amarillo Día de Muertos Festival to Open October 24
The annual celebration at Starlight Ranch Event Center honors tradition with a public Catrina competition.
Updated on Oct. 20, 2026 in Cultural
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The Amarillo Día de Muertos Festival returns to the Starlight Ranch Event Center on October 24, 2026. This community event celebrates the holiday through art, traditional costume displays, and a featured competition.
Why it matters
Participants use the festival to honor their Hispanic heritage and provide meaningful cultural examples for younger family members. The event serves as a platform to maintain ancestral traditions within the local community.
The festival has showcased over 250 local artists since the Amarillo Council for the Latino Arts founded the event in 2022. Attendance reached over 2,000 people during the previous year.
The players
Amarillo Council for the Latino Arts
This organization manages local arts initiatives and serves as the founder of the annual Día de Muertos event.
Isabel Almanza
This artist previously demonstrated skill in the cultural arts by placing third in the 2024 Catrina competition.
The details
Attendees and participants celebrate through elaborate costume design, which often requires months of preparation using materials like bridal gowns and flowers. The event culminates in a La Catrina aesthetic, featuring detailed skeletal makeup inspired by early 20th-century caricatures.
Timeline
The festival is scheduled for October 24, 2026.
Gates for the festival open at 3 p.m.
The Catrina competition is scheduled for 6:45 p.m.
Industry Dynamics
The festival continues a legacy of artistic tribute established by the 1947 mural Dream of a Sunday Afternoon, which helped solidify the cultural status of the La Catrina figure. These events reflect a broader trend of local organizations using historical iconography to engage audiences in heritage-based programming.
Residents can access the festival grounds at the Starlight Ranch Event Center beginning at 3 p.m. on the day of the event. Attendees should arrive early to secure viewing spots for the 6:45 p.m. Catrina competition.
The takeaway
Engaging in local cultural festivals provides a hands-on way to connect with ancestral history and artistic traditions. Families interested in these celebrations should begin planning costume elements well in advance to match the intricate aesthetic requirements of the competition.
Further reading
Learn more about local traditions and heritage programming on the Amarillo Cultural page.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Amarillo Tribune.
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