Longtime Kansas City festival celebrating Hispanic culture canceled for 2026
.jpg "Lowriders take the streets at the Latino Arts Festival this weekend.")
A beloved Hispanic arts showcase hosted in Kansas City’s historic West Bottoms is canceled for 2026, organizers said.
The Chicano Arts Festival, hosted by nonprofit Chicano Center for the Arts, announced on social media that they are no longer hosting their 10th anniversary this fall. Deanna Muñoz, the founder of the Chicano Center for the Arts, said on social media that the decision was one of the hardest she’s ever had to make.
She cited funding as the reason for canceling the festival that typically hosts the largest lowrider show in the Kansas City area.
“As much as I have fought to make this happen, I cannot in good conscience move forward without the resources needed to create the safe, high-quality experience our community deserves,” Muñoz said. “I refuse to put our organization at risk or deliver anything less than what our artists and attendees have come to expect.”
The festival does have a chance at returning in the future. Muñoz said it’s on pause while the organization regroups. She also thanked all the artists, vendors and supporters who have attended the festival in the last decade.
