Family Free Day

Family Free Day
October 12, 2026, 10:00 AM–5:00 PM

Enjoy free admission and free activities for visitors of all ages this Columbus Day / Indigenous Peoples' Day. Bring the whole family for hands-on artmaking, guided gallery tours, live music, and interactive activities inspired by the current exhibitions Inspired Landscapes: Women of the Hudson River School and Mexico Masks / Rituals: Photographs by Phyllis Galembo.

Visit community partner tables from New York Folklore, the Mesoamerican Institute, and Herencia Cultural Mexicana.

Scheduled performances and tours
- Docent tours: 10:00 AM and 2:00 PM. Meet at the Admission Desk, Floor 1.
- Live music with Marimba El Quetzal and Alejandra: 11:00–11:30 AM, Atrium, Floor 1.
- Live dance performance with Luz and Herencia Cultural: 11:00 AM.
- Screening of Language in Landscape: The Art of Frederic Church, WMHT Public Media's documentary celebrating the artist's 200th birthday: 2:00 PM, Key Cultural Center, Floor 3.
- Live music by Mateo y Maria Son Jarocho: 3:00–4:00 PM, Atrium, Floor 1.

Drop-in activities
- Piñatas and Papel Picado with Isabel Velasco: 10:00 AM–2:00 PM, Key Cultural Center, Floor 3. Learn about cartonería, a traditional Mexican folk craft using papier-mâché to create three-dimensional figures.
- Scavenger hunt: 11:00 AM–4:00 PM, Galleries, Floor 2. Find hidden objects and patterns in Inspired Landscapes: Women of the Hudson River School and claim a prize in the sculpture atrium.
- Button making: 11:00 AM–4:00 PM, Galleries, Floor 2. Create buttons inspired by Inspired Landscapes: Women of the Hudson River School.
- Huipil making with Susana Martinez: 11:30 AM–12:30 PM, Classroom, Floor 1. Learn about huipiles, traditional garments woven by Indigenous women, and the backstrap loom.
- Masks and costume making with Renee: 2:00–3:00 PM, Classroom, Floor 1.

Community partners include New York Folklore, the Mesoamerican Institute, and Herencia Cultural Mexicana. Other featured cultural groups and artists include Triquis Sin Fronteras, Pulso de Barro, Luz Ruiz, Susana Martinez, and Isabel Velasco.

Support for Family Free Day is provided by M&T Bank.