The 22nd Festival of the Skeletons fills the Village of the Arts on November 6 and 7, and this year the main shrine belongs to Frida Kahlo.
If you've been to the Festival of the Skeletons before, you know how it goes. You paint your face, park on a side street, and lose an hour to gallery altars you only meant to glance at on the way to the taco line. The 22nd edition keeps all of that and puts a new face at the center of it.
The free, two-day festival opens Friday, November 6 from 6 to 9 PM and returns Saturday, November 7 from 11 AM to 4 PM. It's the Village of the Arts' biggest community event of the year, and the one weekend when the galleries turn their rooms over to shrines, altars, and the neighbors who come to see them.
Frida Kahlo Takes the Main Shrine
Last year's festival honored the people who built the Village, led by its founding father, Herbie Rose. For 2026, the Community Village Shrine turns to Frida Kahlo, the painter whose color and self-portraits made her one of Mexico's most celebrated artists.
That gives you a theme for your outfit, too. Frida's flower crowns and bold color fit right in with the face paint and skeleton suits you'll see all over the Village. The organizers are asking everyone to come dressed in their favorite Día de los Muertos attire.
The Memory Wall Is Open to Everyone
The Community Shrine and Memory Wall are open to anyone who wants to honor their own loved ones. In 2025, people left notes, photos, and keepsakes on the wall for the people they'd lost.
If there's someone you want to remember this year, bring a photo or write a few lines before you head over. Galleries set up their own shrines and altars inside, so expect to find more of them as you walk the Village.
What's on the Streets This Year
Friday is the after-dark version, when live music and food vendors light up the Village, while Saturday hands you daylight for the gallery altars and the art.
Food trucks parked throughout the Village, with musicians strolling between them.
Pop-up vendors selling one-of-a-kind art.
Shrines and altars inside the galleries, plus the Community Shrine and Memory Wall.
Free festival goodies for the first 300 guests, so getting there early pays.
Why You'll Lose the Hour Anyway
Día de los Muertos is about remembering the people who came before you and celebrating them with color instead of quiet. The galleries take that seriously. Inside, many build shrines to family, friends, and even pets, and every one has a story behind it.
That's the part that keeps people coming back for 22 years. You walk in meaning to glance on your way to the taco line, and you walk out an hour later carrying a few of their stories.
What to Know Before You Go
When: Friday, November 6, 6 to 9 PM, and Saturday, November 7, 11 AM to 4 PM. Friday wraps at 9 this year, a half hour earlier than 2025's 9:30 close.
Where: Village of the Arts, 1227 12th Ave W, Bradenton.
Cost: Free. Food and vendor purchases are extra.
Parking: Free street parking throughout the Village, plus the empty lot at 13th Ave and 12th St.
Grab your face paint and a photo for the wall, and we'll see you in the Village.
FAQ
When is the Festival of the Skeletons in Bradenton in 2026?
The 22nd Annual Día de los Muertos Festival of the Skeletons runs Friday, November 6 from 6 to 9 PM and Saturday, November 7 from 11 AM to 4 PM. It takes place at the Village of the Arts, 1227 12th Ave W, Bradenton. Friday is the after-dark session with live music and food vendors, and Saturday is the daytime session for gallery altars and art.
Is the Festival of the Skeletons free, and where do you park?
Yes. Admission is free, and the festival is family-friendly. Food and anything you buy from pop-up vendors cost extra. Parking is free on the streets throughout the Village, and there's an open lot at 13th Ave and 12th St that organizers have pointed visitors to in past years. The first 300 guests get free festival goodies, so arriving early pays off.
Why is Frida Kahlo the focus of the 2026 Community Village Shrine?
Each year the festival dedicates its main shrine to a person or group, and in 2026 that's Frida Kahlo, the Mexican painter known for her self-portraits and color. Ofrendas, the altars at the heart of Día de los Muertos, honor family members and also cultural icons, and Kahlo is one of the most frequent. Her flower crowns and bold dress also give visitors an easy costume idea.
Can you honor your own loved one at the Memory Wall?
Yes. The Community Shrine and Memory Wall are open to anyone who wants to remember someone they've lost. In 2025, people left notes, photos, and keepsakes. Bring a printed photo or write a few lines before you go. Galleries also build their own shrines and altars inside, many honoring family, friends, and pets, so you'll find more places to pause as you walk the Village.
What should you wear and expect at the festival?
Organizers ask guests to come in their favorite Día de los Muertos attire: face paint, flower crowns, skeleton suits, bright colors. Expect food trucks, strolling musicians, and pop-up vendors selling original art, plus altars inside the galleries. It's a remembrance celebration at heart, so keep a respectful distance around altars and photos left on the Memory Wall.
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