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Día de Muertos Festival (Day of the Dead Festival) 2026 — Amarillo, TX

Oct 24, 2026Starlight Ranch

Día de Muertos Festivalpresented byAmarillo Council for the Latino Arts (ACLA)

Get Tickets — $10View Schedule
A Catrina in an elaborate gown on the DODFest runway
A community altar lined with candles and paper marigolds
The festival entrance arch strung with papel picado
Folklórico dancers in feathered headdresses
A Catrina crowned with orange marigolds
A steel art installation with a painted skull figure
A wall of folk art prints and cut-paper banners
A Catrina performer on the main stage
A mariachi band playing at dusk
A child having their face painted as a calavera
Catrinas in full costume, scored by judges at the Catrina contest
Local media covering the festival
A Catrina in a hand-made gown at the DODFest contest

What DODFest is

DODFest is the Texas Panhandle's Día de Muertos celebration — one day when Amarillo fills with marigolds, papel picado and the names of the people we carry with us.

Families build altars for their dead, Catrinas take the runway in gowns made by hand over months, and mariachi, drumlines and ballet folklórico rotate across the stages from open to close.

It is not a mourning: it is a party thrown for the people who are no longer here to come to it.

Meet ACLA and the tradition

The Experience

One day, six worlds

Everything happens on October 24 at Starlight Ranch, Amarillo, TX — from dawn altars to the closing ceremony.

Skip the six worlds

Catrina Contest

Catrinas in elaborate costumes, judged by category — with a dedicated children’s division. You get a vote for your favorite, too. The visual heart of the festival.

Vote for your favorite
A community altar at dusk, arched with paper marigolds and lined with candles

It's about tradition

Schedule & Lineup

Plan your day

Music, dance and ceremony across multiple stages from open to close.

The full lineup drops soon.

Stage times for October 24 are being finalized with our performers.

Go to the schedule page

Awards

Cast Your Vote

Every award at DODFest is decided by the people who show up. Here is how the voting is going — the tallies stay sealed until the closing ceremony.

0

Voting has not started

  • Favorite Altar

    0

    Be the first to vote

  • Best Catrina

    0

    Be the first to vote

  • Car Show Ofrenda

    0

    Be the first to vote

The rings above are an illustration of a race in motion — not a tally. Real standings stay sealed until the closing ceremony.

Get Your TicketView Schedule

Location

Starlight Ranch

One day, one place: stages, altars, food and the Catrina runway, all within walking distance.

Festival entrance at Starlight Ranch

Starlight Ranch

Amarillo, TX · Texas Panhandle

Date
Saturday, October 24, 2026
Doors
3:00 – 10:00 PM
Venue
Starlight Ranch
1415 Sunrise Dr #4300, Amarillo, TX 79104
Admission
$10 · General admission. Free for children under 12.
Open interactive mapGet directions (opens Google Maps in a new tab)

Partners

Our Sponsors

DODFest 2026 is made possible by the generous support of these partners.

Supporting Sponsor
Become a Sponsor →

Save the date

See you on the 24th

$10 general admission — children under 12 get in free. Everyone at the festival can vote for Favorite Altar, Best Catrina, and Car Show Ofrenda.

Get Tickets — $10Take part

DODFest is presented by the Amarillo Council for the Latino Arts (ACLA), a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit empowering Hispanic artists and celebrating cultural expression across the Texas Panhandle since 2022.

View sponsorship opportunities →