In Wichita: Dia de los Muertos highlights upcoming week of events

Wichita’s largest Dia de los Muertos celebration is at the mercy of the weather.

Though there’s a significant chance for storms on Saturday, organizers are hoping good weather prevails for their largest-yet celebration of Day of the Dead.

The second-annual event, a Mexican celebration to honor the dead, is being held at NoMar International Market, 21st and Broadway, on Friday and Saturday.

There will be face-painting in the tradition, food, “danzas,” music, a fashion show featuring clothing from various regions of Mexico, as well as artwork and other goods for sale.

Lolly Hernandez, one of the organizers of the event, said she’s been impressed with the community response – so far, well over 1,000 people have said they are “interested” in the event on Facebook.

“I really am glad that people are very interested in this holiday,” Hernandez said. “It’s so dynamic – it just brings in the culture, the food, the face-painting and the altars ... I guess you kind of get mesmerized.”

Hernandez said she is borrowing ideas from popular Dia de Los Muertos festivals in Texas, where the tradition has become popular.

Technically, Dia de los Muertos is from Oct. 31 to Nov. 2, but Hernandez said organizers decided to host the celebration early to avoid conflicting with Halloween events or Final Friday.

It’s important to note, she said, Dia de los Muertos is not Halloween.

“It’s more of a festival than a time for mourning – it’s remembering the lives of our deceased,” she said. “It’s a beautiful celebration of life, not death.”

The festival, which will run from 6-11 p.m. Friday and noon-11 p.m. Saturday, is free to the public.

The Halloween season is in full swing in Wichita, and the Eagle has a comprehensive listing of holiday events.

For the sake of brevity, we’ve condensed the list down to what’s happening this week. For the full listing, visit www.kansas.com/keeper.

Use this list below to plan your spooky fun in town this week:

15th Annual Tallgrass Film Festival

Oct. 18-22, Wichita Orpheum Theatre, 200 N. Broadway; various other venues

This event is not exactly scary per se, but the Tallgrass Film Festival is an October event not to be missed. It’s a four-day festival of indie films screened at the Orpheum and at various other downtown venues. It’s one of the most highly regarded small film fests in the country and regularly receives writeups in film-centric publications. For first-time festivalgoers, I’d recommend the festival’s “Binge Pass,” which gets you into any movie you want all day Saturday, which includes the Stubbornly Independent Gala and After-Party. It’s $65. For more information, visit www.tallgrassfilmfest.com or call 844-428-3456.

Admission: $8-$250.

Croctoberfest

6-9 p.m. Oct. 19, Sedgwick County Zoo, 5555 W. Zoo Blvd.

The zoo is once again hosting Croctoberfest, for all amphibian and reptile lovers out there. There will be live music, a silent auction, food, and craft beer while keepers educate those in attendance about crocodiles and other animals. For more information, visit www.scz.org or call 316-660-9453.

Admission: $5

Pumpkins at the Park

6-9:30 p.m. Oct. 20-22, 27-29, Tanganyika Wildlife Park, 1000 S. Hawkins Lane, Goddard

Tanganyika’s annual Halloween event returns this year, and its “Zombie Task Force Paintball Experience” is back. The whole zoo is filled with Halloween fun, including haunted trick-or-treating, inflatables, a pumpkin patch, fire performers, creepy crafts and a haunted hay ride. For the Zombie Task Force, guests pay extra to shoot zombies with paintballs in an attempt to defend the denizens of Tanganyika against zombie invasion. For adults, alcohol will be available for purchase. For more information, visit www.pumpkinsatthepark.com or call 316-794-8954.

Admission: $6-$45.

Dia De Los Muertos Wichita

6-11 p.m. Oct. 20, noon-11 p.m. Oct. 21, NoMar International Market, 204 E. 21st Street North

This two-day celebration features altars decorated in honor of the dead. There will be Folkoric dancers, face-painting booths, art, food vendors, music, a fashion show and more. Dresses provided by Azteka Boutique.

Admission: Free

Dawn of the Dub

8 p.m. Oct. 20, The Cotillion, 11120 W. Kellogg

This annual EDM show, put on by Nocturnal By Nature, will feature Figure with Midnight Tyrannosaurus, as well as Timmy Tutone, Karetaker, Swell and other DJs. If you’re into EDM, this is the largest Halloween-themed dance party you’ll find in town. This event is all-ages. For more information, visit www.thecotillion.com or call 316-722-4201.

Admission: $20 in advance/$25 day of show.

Historic Hauntings at Cowtown

7 p.m. Oct. 20, 6-8:30 p.m. Oct. 21, 9 p.m.-midnight Oct. 22, Old Cowtown Museum, 1865 W. Museum Blvd.

This event, presented by the Wichita Paranormal Research Society, explores the haunted history of Cowtown. There will be a video screened that claims to offer evidence of Cowtown’s paranormal nature. Ghost stories will be told. The event is a fundraiser for Cowtown, and is open to all ages. For more information, visit www.oldcowtown.org or call 316-350-3323. To buy tickets, visit www.wichitatix.com or call 316-303-8100.

Admission: $15/person

Halloween Hullabaloo

10 a.m.-2 p.m. Oct. 21, High Park, 2801 E. James, Derby

The Derby Rec Center is hosting a full day of family Halloween fun, including carnival games, “pumpkin chunkin,’” food, bounce houses, a DJ, hay rack rides, trick-or-treating, “Haunted Theater” performances, as well as a zombie shooting range. For more information, visit www.derbyrec.com or call 316-788-3781.

Free.

4th Annual Spooky Science

10 a.m.-5 p.m. Oct. 21, Exploration Place, 300 N. McLean Blvd.

What’s spooky and scientific at the same time? The Exploration Place, come Oct. 21. There will be family-friendly Halloween activities all day, including propelling “ice pumpkins” into the Arkansas River, building skeletons, encountering a “spooky expanding ghost” and more. Halloween costumes encouraged. For more information, visit www.exploration.org or call 316-660-0600.

Admission: Included in general admission – adults, $9.50; ages 65 and older, $8; ages 3-11, $6; ages 2 and under free.

Pumpkin Smash & Fall Bash

10 a.m.-4 p.m. Oct. 21, Starwoods Outdoor Center, 7800 S. 103rd West, Clearwater

The Girl Scouts of America are sponsoring this family-friendly Halloween activity on Saturday, open to the public. There will be hay rack rides, pumpkin painting, face painting, outdoor games, candy stations, pumpkin chunkin’ (pumpkin catapulting) and more. All ages are welcome. Guests can bring gently used or new books to donate to local nonprofits. Costumes encouraged. For more information, visit www.kansasgirlscouts.org.

Admission: $10/person.

Children’s Halloween Party

1-3 p.m. Oct. 21, Mid-America All-Indian Center, 650 N. Seneca

The Mid-America All-Indian Center is putting on its annual Halloween party for kids on Oct. 21. There will be games, crafts for kids, a “haunted hallway,” candy and treats. Admission to this party and a Christmas party are included in Family memberships.

Admission: $2/person, free for members

Field of Brews

1-4 p.m. Oct. 21, Lawrence-Dumont Stadium, 300 S. Sycamore

For one day, the field at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium will be filled with beer. More than 50 different craft brews from across the country will be available for the drinking as part of this fundraiser to benefit Starkey Inc. There will also be food, music and games. For more information, visit www.starkey.org or call 316-942-4221.

Admission: $50

Pumpkin Drop and Halloween Bash at Stearman Field

2 p.m. Oct. 21, Stearman Field Bar and Grill, 14789 SW 30th, Benton

For the fifth year in a row, this unique event is returning to Stearman Field. Pilots will drop pumpkins from their planes in an attempt to splat them closest to the bullseye of a large target on the ground. There will be a kids’ costume contest around 3:30 p.m. Then, for adults, there will be a live band starting at 7 p.m. and there will also be an adult costume contest at 10 p.m. A limited menu will be served.

Admission: Free

Howl-oween at the Great Plains Nature Center

4-8 p.m. Oct. 21, Great Plains Nature Center, 6232 E. 29th Street North

The 2nd annual Howl-oween event at the Great Plains Nature Center promises fun for the whole family. There will be crafts, glow-in-the-dark games after dusk, evening guided hikes, presentations on nocturnal animals and more. Costumes are encouraged. B.S. Sandwich Press will be on-site.

Admission: Free

Haunted Stroll

6:30-10 p.m. Oct. 21, Starwoods Outdoor Center, 7800 S. 103rd West, Clearwater

After the Girl Scouts of America finish hosting the Pumpkin Smash and Fall Bash on Saturday, another event will begin that evening. This annual Halloween event is recommended for second-graders and older, since attendees will be strolling down the haunted trails of Starwoods and meeting scary characters along the way. For more information, visit www.kansasgirlscouts.org.

Admission: $10/person.

ICT Roller Derby Monster Mashup

6:30 p.m. Oct. 21, The Cotillion, 11120 W. Kellogg

ICT Roller Derby, Wichita’s roller derby team, is hosting a Halloween-themed mashup on Saturday at the Cotillion. The event will be a triple-header, featuring a juniors mashup, a coed mashup and a women’s mashup. Doors open at 5 p.m. For more information, visit www.thecotillion.com or call 316-722-4201.

Admission: $11.50 in advance, $13.50 day of event.

Ghosts in the Museum: A Paranormal Event

7-9 p.m. Oct. 21, Kansas Aviation Museum, 3350 S. George Washington Blvd.

Kansas White Noise Paranormal has been investigating the Kansas Aviation Museum, and is putting on this event to share their results. Whether you’re a skeptic or a believer in the paranormal, it’s bound to be an entertaining evening of ghost stories. Learn about how investigators worked and what they found. For more information, visit www.kansasaviationmuseum.org or call 316-683-9242.

Admission: $15.

Slimy Fall Fun

2-4 p.m. Oct. 22, Botanica, 701 N. Amidon

If your kids are feeling particularly slimy on Oct. 22, this is the event for you. This family-friendly day will consist of a performance of “Where the Wild Things Are” by the Wichita Children’s Theater, followed by a pumpkin patch, slime-making stations, refreshments and various other activities. For more information, visit www.botanica.org or call 316-264-0448.

Admission: $30 for one child and adult (non-members), $25 for one child and adult (members)

Arkalalah

Oct. 25-28, Arkansas City

If you’re looking for a small-town fall festival, this event is perhaps the king of them all. It’s the kind of festival that many people from Wichita regularly drive down to attend. This year the festival fatures the traditional carnival, a beer garden, fireworks, street games, parades and light shows. It’s scheduled from Oct. 25 to 28. For more information, visit www.arkalalah.com or call 620-442-6077.

Spooky Story Time

10:30 a.m., 2 p.m. Oct. 25, Blue Baboon Books, 2357 N. Maize

In an attempt to get your kids excited about Halloween – and reading – try this free Halloween story-time event. Costumes are encouraged for a not-so-scary time. For more information, visit www.bluebaboonbooks.com or call 316-721-5477.

Admission: Free

‘Little Shop of Horrors’ from Wichita State Music Theatre

7:30 p.m. Oct. 26-28, 2 p.m. Oct. 29, Wichita State University – Wilner Auditorium, 1845 Fairmount

This musical, guest directed by Karen Robu, is based on the 1960s low-budget movie by Roger Corman about a man-eating plant. It opened off Broadway in 1982 and has continued to delight audiences with its memorable music and melodramatic storyline. Doors open 30 minutes prior to showtime. For more information and to buy tickets, visit www.wichita.edu/fineartsboxoffice or call 316-978-3233.

Admission: $10 children, $18 WSU faculty/staff, seniors, military, $20 general public

Corn maze/pumpkin patch hybrids

Walters’ Pumpkin Patch, 10001 NW U.S. 77, Burns. Open through Oct. 31. Hours: 10 a.m.-7 p.m. daily and 1-7 p.m. Sundays. Offering 30 acres of pumpkins, two giant jumping pillows and a corn maze. Daytime admission is $10 weekdays and $13 weekends. Admission: $7 from 3-7 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Find your way through the maze by flashlight 7-10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays for $8. 316-320-4150 or thewaltersfarm.com

Applejack Pumpkin Patch, 10007 SW Indianola Road, Augusta. Open through Oct. 31. Hours: 9 a.m.-3 p.m. weekdays, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturdays and noon-6 p.m. Sundays. Pumpkin patch, corn maze, milo maze, petting zoo, hay-rack rides, pumpkin cannons and concessions. Admission: $9. 316-733-8909 or applejackpumpkinpatch.com

Gaeddert Farms Corn Maze, 13209 E. 82nd St., Buhler. Open through Oct. 28. Hours: 6-9:30 p.m. Fridays, 2-9:30 p.m. Saturdays, 2-8 p.m. Sundays. Pumpkin patch, corn maze, giant jumping pillow, hay-jumping and concessions. General admission $2. Maze admission $9.50; ages 4-10, $7.50. Flashlight nights, dusk-10 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays; dusk-8 p.m. Sundays. 620-543-3073 or kansasmaze.com

Bergmann Corn Maze and Pumpkin Patch, 8401 S. Meridian, Haysville. Open through Oct. 29. Hours: 6-10 p.m. Fridays, 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturdays and 1-6 p.m. Sundays. 15-acre corn maze. Admission: $10; ages 5-12, $8. Free admission to the pumpkin patch. Inflatables. Pony rides available on Saturdays and Sundays in October for $3. 316-522-3475 or bergmanncornmaze.com

Klausmeyer Dairy Farm Tours and Pumpkin Patch, 8135 S. 119th St. West, Clearwater. Open 10 a.m.-6 p.m.Saturdays and noon-6 p.m. Sundays through Nov. 12. 5-acre corn maze, sorghum maze, zombie paintball, petting zoo, milking demo, pig races, hay wagon rides. Admission: $6.50. 316-706-5391 or klausmeyerdairyfarms.com

Cox Farm, 6059 S. Seneca. Open through Oct. 29. Hours: 6-11 p.m. Fridays, 10 a.m.-11 p.m. Saturdays, 10 a.m.-dusk Sundays. Minion-themed corn maze and pumpkin patch. Corn maze: $8. $10 after 6 p.m. on Saturdays. Half-price admission on opening weekend. 316-524-8062 or coxfarm.com

Mr. Gourdman’s Pumpkin Patch, 3750 S. Dusty Road, Derby. Open every weekend in October. Open 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturdays and 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sundays. By appointment for groups on weekdays. Free admission to the pumpkin patch. Admission to the farm is $7; $5 for military, with access to a corn maze, boat rentals, hay-rack rides, nature trails and a playground. 316-733-1887 or wichitaspumpkinpatch.com

In Toon Pumpkin Patch and Corn Maze, 16401 112th Road, Burden. Open through Nov. 5. Open 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturdays and 1-6 p.m. Sundays. Groups only during the weekdays. 7-acre corn maze, mini-maze, hay rides, “cornbox,” super slide and concessions. Admission: $10. Free admission to the pumpkin patch – pumpkins purchased separately. 316-302-4393 intooncornmaze.com

Strictly pumpkins, please

Marietta Farms, 1600 E. U.S. 54, Andover. Open daily. Hours: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Mondays-Fridays, 10 a.m.-7:30 p.m. Saturdays-Sundays. Pumpkin patch, petting zoo, tricycle races, corn cannon, pumpkin slingshot, train ride, paintball and more. Some activities cost extra. $5 on weekdays, $7 on weekends – activity tickets cost extra. www.mariettafarm.com, 316-227-1563

Meadowlark Farm, 11249 SW 160th St., Rose Hill. Open Wednesdays-Sundays through Oct. 29. Hours: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Wednesdays-Fridays, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturdays, noon-5 p.m. Sundays. Pumpkin and apple-picking, pumpkin slingshot, petting zoo, playset and farm store with hard cider for purchase. 316-518-8907 or themeadowlarkfarm.com

Papa’s Pumpkin Patch, 374 E. 70th St., Newton. Open through Oct. 29. Hours: 1-6 p.m. Fridays and Sundays, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturdays. Free admission. Take a hay-rack ride to the pumpkin patch, where you can buy a pumpkin. Farm animal viewing, slide, corn tub and sorghum maze for $3. 620-367-2721 or papaspumpkinpatchks.com

Haunted houses

Field of Screams, 4055 N. Tyler Road. Hours: 7-11:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 7-10:30 p.m. Sundays, as well as Oct. 30-31. Tickets: $15-$70 depending on activity and day of week. 316-303-2037 or scaryprairiepines.com

The Haunted Cannery Spook House and Lunatic Asylum, 10001 NW U.S. 77 near El Dorado (at Walter’s Pumpkin Patch). Hours: 7:30-11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays through Oct. 28. Admission: $20. thehauntedcannery.com

Kansas Zombie Hunters, 7727 NE 36th Street, Newton. Ride on a trailer with mounted paintball guns and shoot zombies. Hours: 6:30-11:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays through Oct. 28. Admission varies based on perks. www.kansaszombiehunters.com

The Forest of Fear, 7446 51st Road, Udall. Hours: dark-midnight Fridays and Saturdays through Oct. 28 and dark-11 p.m. on Oct. 15, 19, 22, 26, 29 and 31. Haunted forest away from the city. Admission: $15; $10 for ages 10 and younger. 316-712-4354, udallforestoffear.com

Wicked Island, 3022 S. McLean Blvd. at O.J. Watson Park. Presented by Plant Kingdom. Hours: 8 p.m.-midnight Fridays and Saturdays through Oct. 28. Open 8-10:30 p.m. on Halloween. Admission: $20; $15 ages 12 and younger. $35 for a “fast pass.” Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult. 316-684-5991, wickedwoodswichita.com

Warehouse of Terrors, 1640 W. 140th Avenue North, Milton. Open from 8-11 p.m. Oct. 7, 14, 21 and 28. Indoor/outdoor haunted house in an old furniture store. Admission: $25. Get two-for-one tickets all month at wichita.dealsaver.com. warehouseofterrorsk42.com

Forest of Terror, 5059 N. Ridge. Open Oct. 6, 7, 13, 14, 19, 20, 21, 26, 27, 28, 30 and 31. Hours: dark-midnight Fridays, Saturdays and Halloween night; dark-11 p.m. weekdays. Admission: $19. theforestofterror.com

This story was originally published October 19, 2017 at 11:01 AM with the headline "In Wichita: Dia de los Muertos highlights upcoming week of events."