Celebrate the power of creativity and all the ways we "MAKE" in this fun-filled day of free activities for the entire family. Enjoy art making, community connections, and gallery activities—and have the chance to meet and make alongside local artists!
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
11:00 AM
Welcome Table and Raffle
11:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m., Main Entrance
Pick up a schedule of events, get help with wayfinding, and then tell us what you enjoyed about the festival. Complete a short survey and be entered to win a DMA prize pack!
Meet and Make with an Artist: Sally Ackerman
11:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m., Eagle Family Plaza
Get ready to weave some magic! Join us in a hands-on fiber art experience where you can help build a colorful collaborative hula hoop weaving. Local artist, Sally Ackerman, will be there to share her fiber expertise. Come twist, tie, and weave your way into this one-of-a-kind community masterpiece!
C3 Tower Takeover
11:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m., Tower Gallery
Make your way up to Level 4 to explore our temporary Center for Creative Connections space. Make art, read a book, play with toys, or explore artworks created by our community!
Open Studio: Imaginary Worlds Postcards
11:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m., Tower Studio
Let's get surreal! Create wild, fantastical worlds using collage materials and then swap your postcards with fellow dreamers to share the magic. Activity available while supplies last.
Meet and Make with an Artist: Jessica Bell & Zeke Wooten
11:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m., outside the Main Entrance
Step right up and make your mark! Artists Jessica Bell and Zeke Wooten have joined forces to create playful sculptures, and they need your help to fill them with color. Grab a paintbrush and add your voice through color!
Art Making with Jesus Moroles Expressive Arts Vanguard
11:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m., Ross Avenue Entrance
Put your creativity to the test at this art-making station designed by the talented students of Jesus Moroles Expressive Arts Vanguard! Local student artists will be there to create alongside families and participants, making this a space for collaboration, inspiration, and fun.
11:30 AM
Meet Our Wonderful Partners
11:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m., Main Concourse
We're excited to welcome Crayola Experience Plano, KidZania, and Scottish Rite for Children to this year's Family Festival! Stop by to learn more, say hello, and pick up Crayola markers and tickets—while supplies last. We're proud to feature these amazing partners!
Meet and Make with an Artist: Pakco F.
11:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m., Fleischner Courtyard
Connect sound and story by designing your very own album cover with local artist Pakco F. Come up with your own lyrics or song title and use collage materials to bring them to life!
Community Information Tables
11:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m., Main Concourse
Meet members of our community and learn more about what their organizations do to make our city shine. Pick up informational flyers, participate in activities, and more.
Scare-venger Hunt
11:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m., Main Entrance
Grab a scare-venger hunt from the Welcome Table to unearth some of the spookiest art in our collection. Find all the artworks and return to the Welcome Table for a phantom-tastic prize!
NOON
Sensory Haven featuring Dawn Buttrill
Noon–3:00 p.m., Founders Room
Looking for a place to take a break? Visit the Founders Room and enjoy peaceful activities to reset and recharge. Explore various stations including a reading nook, sensory bins, and quiet art making with local artist Dawn Buttrill. All ages are welcome!
Toddler Sensory Play Room
Noon–3:00 p.m., Horchow Auditorium, Level 1
Jump start your senses at one of our play stations just for children ages 3 and under. Play with our light table, crawl through a tunnel, dance with scarves, explore musical instruments, and much more!
Meet and Make with an Artist: Christie Kwon
Noon–3:00 p.m., Horchow Auditorium, Level 1
Let your creativity bloom as you create a mini floral card with floral designer Christie Kwon using dried flowers and leaves. This activity is especially for toddlers, but all ages are welcome!
1:00 PM
Meet and Make with an Artist: Deana Ward
1:00–3:00 p.m., Fleischner Courtyard
Make some wearable art and learn beading techniques with Deana Ward, a bead worker who connects with and shares her Choctaw heritage through art making. Take a closer look at Ward's unique photorealistic beaded pieces and then express your own ideas with beads!
Pop-Up Art Spot
1:00–4:00 p.m., Level 2
Looking for a hands-on experience in the DMA galleries? Visit the Pop-Up Art Spot and find unique ways to engage with nearby artworks. From sketching to sensory experiences to imaginative prompts, there's always something new to discover. Come explore and get creative!
2:00 PM
Meet and Make with an Artist: Carla Renteria
2:00–4:00 p.m., Main Concourse
Join us at the Sound Station to listen to mysterious creature sounds! Create your own creature using materials like pipe cleaners, model magic, and googly eyes with artist and educator Carla Renteria.
Still-Life Sketching
2:00–4:00 p.m., Level 4 Landing
Drop in and sketch the season! Help us set up a fall-inspired still-life arrangement using faux flowers, fruit, and more, and then grab a clipboard and pencils and create your own gourd-geous sketch.
3:00 PM
Performance in the Atrium featuring W. E. Greiner Exploratory Arts Academy Mariachi Los Unicos
3:00 p.m., Hamon Atrium
Enjoy the musical styles of the award-winning Mariachi Los Unicos from Greiner Academy!
Special thanks to our Media Partner WFAA and Marketing Partners Crayola Experience Plano, KidZania, and Scottish Rite for Children for supporting our event!