The Children's Museum of Indianapolis throws open its doors for free this Sunday, October 4, with Fiesta de la Familia bringing Latin American crafts, bilingual storytelling and even flu shots to families across the city. The museum will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with special event programming running from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Fiesta de la Familia celebrates Latin American cultures through interactive activities, art projects and live performances, according to WISH-TV. Melissa Trumpey, the museum's director of public events and family programs, discussed the day's festivities on Daybreak and said celebrating community members and neighbors through the event matters deeply to the institution. Visitors are encouraged to reserve tickets online in advance, though museum members can simply show their membership card at the gate.
Among the day's most popular offerings, per the same account, are hands-on craft stations where children can make traditional Guatemalan worry dolls to take home and take part in a weaving project. Trumpey said the craft stations are consistently among the busiest activities at the event. The museum also partnered with local artist Daniel De Real on a community art project inspired by Huichol yarn painting from Mexico, which will remain on display at the museum afterward.
Bilingual Storytelling and Baroque Music Take the Stage
At 11 a.m., the Lilly Theater will host a bilingual musical storytelling presentation featuring the Indianapolis Baroque Orchestra performing alongside visiting author Mariana Llanos. The 45-minute program, called Growing Up Baroque, tells the story of Llanos's book Run, Little Chaski! through music and storytelling, focusing on 18th-century Latin America with illustrations, period music and depictions of the Inca Trail woven throughout. Llanos's bilingual picture book previously won the 2022 Oklahoma Book Award and the 2022 Alma Flor Ada Award, according to Barefoot Books.
Health care will also have a presence at the event: medical professionals from Riley Hospital for Children will administer free flu shots on Level 1 to anyone 6 months and older, while supplies last. Girl Scouts of Central Indiana and the Latinas Welding Guild will host their own activities elsewhere in the museum. The Latinas Welding Guild, founded in 2017 by Guatemalan-born welder and artist Consuelo Lockhart, merged leadership with Project Azul in September 2023 to offer trade certifications and manufacturing training to women and marginalized groups across Central Indiana, according to the Latinas Welding Guild. Trainees from the group gained citywide attention in June 2024 when they built a 66-foot steel replica of the Eiffel Tower installed downtown for the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials, as reported by the Indianapolis Business Journal.
Country-Themed Activities Fill the Museum's Floors
Visitors can also explore country-specific cultural stations throughout the day. An activity focused on Honduras teaches Lenca weaving and paper textile creation, while the Guatemala station covers worry-doll folklore and creation. A Peru-themed activity lets families explore historic Andean architecture through a 3D replica, and families can take a commemorative visit photo at designated spots. The Peru connection ties into the museum's larger Take Me There: Peru exhibit, which opened on July 12, 2025, as part of a long-term Latino Community Initiative the museum formally launched in September 2024 to expand bilingual resources and community advisory teams.
In the Sunburst Atrium, several community organizations will host their own tables and activities, including the Indiana Latino Institute, Sociedad de Amigos de Colombia, the Latino Student Association at IU Indianapolis, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield and T-Mobile. Corteva Agriscience will host an activity in Science Works on Level 4. The Indiana Latino Institute, established in 2001, provides educational advocacy, college access and workforce mentoring directly supporting Latino students in Indianapolis Public Schools and surrounding Marion County districts, according to the Encyclopedia of Indianapolis.
A Growing Audience Behind the Free Days
Fiesta de la Familia is one of five designated free-admission days the museum offers each year, alongside Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents Day, Juneteenth Jamboree and Christmas Eve, according to The City Moms, which notes that free days require advance ticket reservations due to high demand. Turnout for these events has been substantial in recent years, with more than 7,000 visitors attending during Martin Luther King Jr. Day and 6,000 during Presidents Day in 2025, per the Children's Museum of Indianapolis. Philanthropic contributions and corporate sponsorships help offset ticket costs to make the free days possible.
The scale of the venue itself helps explain the draw. Founded in 1925, The Children's Museum of Indianapolis is the world's largest children's museum, occupying 472,900 square feet on nearly 30 acres and drawing more than 1 million visitors annually, according to Do317. The museum's beginnings trace back to a carriage house at the Indianapolis Propylaeum, a piece of local history Hoodline previously detailed in its coverage of the Propylaeum's fall enrichment series.
The event also arrives amid notable demographic shifts in the region. U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts data shows Hispanic or Latino residents made up 15.6 percent of Marion County's population in recent estimates, up from 13.2 percent in the 2020 Census and 10 percent in 2013. Fiesta de la Familia is just one entry on a packed regional calendar this year — Central Indiana's 2026 Hispanic Heritage Month schedule featured 24 major community celebrations across Indianapolis and nine surrounding cities, including FIESTA Indianapolis, the Raíces Festival and the Indiana Latino Expo, according to Mirror Indy.
