On April 24, 2016, for Día del Niño, general admission to non-ticketed exhibitions is free. Get $2 off full-priced, nonmember, adult tickets to Samurai: Armor from the Ann and Gabriel Barbier-Mueller Collection. In person or online, use promo code: DIA_SAMURAI
The celebration of children on a particular day has been a longstanding tradition all around the world. In Denver, the tradition dates back to 1995 when the Mexican Consul’s office celebrated children with a festival that took place in a community center. As time passed and the popularity of the celebration grew, the festival was moved to larger venues, such as church halls and shopping malls. At first, the audience consisted mainly of families from the Latino community.
In 2002, the celebration of Día del Niño took place for the first time at the Denver Art Museum. The then-Consul General, Leticia Calzada, the first woman to occupy this post in Colorado, desired to provide the families with a broader cultural experience in addition to the traditional music and dances that the public was accustomed to.
Ever since, the DAM, in collaboration with the Mexican Consulate General and Mexican Cultural Center have worked to continue the celebration of children from around the world, with a day of free general admission to the museum complex, live music and dances, and artmaking activities.
2016 Events
This year, the Día del Niño festivities will take place on the last weekend in April. On Saturday, April 23, the Denver Museum of Nature and Science and the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art will take part in this celebration.
On Sunday, April 24, the celebration will include free general admission to non-ticketed exhibitions at the Denver Art Museum, History Colorado, Byers-Evans House Museum, and the Clyfford Still Museum. Doors will open at these sites at 10 am and at the Denver Public Library at noon.
Artists Performing at the Denver Art Museum on April 24
The DAM's Día del Niño 2016 celebration will include superb artists, among them:
- Jorge Torres and his son Joel will travel directly from Mexico City to demonstrate the art of the lasso.
- Janelle Ayón’s multimedia presentation “Where is the Word”
- Aspen Santa Fe Ballet Folklórico
- Cleo Parker Robinson Youth Ensemble
- Arts and Culture from Indonesia (ARCINDA)
- African Marimbas
- Colorado Mestizo Dancers
- Fiesta Colorado
- Lisa Trujillo Dance Academy
- Academia de Ballet Folklórico Netzahualcóyotl
- Comparsa Morelos
- Danza Matachina Guadalupana
- Grupo Tláloc Danza Azteca
- Ritmos de mi Peru
- Grupo Tláloc Danza Azteca
- Danza Matachina Guadalupana
- Comparsa Morelos in Denver (Chinelos)
At the Denver Art Museum, in addition to these performances, at 2:30 pm Vicente Arenas, an anchor reporter at 9NEWS, will read in English and in Spanish this year’s selection of One Book 4 Colorado. The Denver Architectural Foundation will provide an artmaking activity from noon–2 pm. Our popular storytelling program Cuentos del Arte will happen at 1 pm and 3 pm.
