The Fantastic Hat Parade stands as a cherished KCAI tradition, a jubilant rite of passage that welcomes first-year Foundation students into the enduring lineage of the Kansas City Art Institute, an institution of creativity and learning since 1885.

The project frequently yields inventive, boundary-pushing creations, as students engage in three-dimensional work beyond the digital mediums where many feel most at home. The Foundation year at KCAI brings together all students, regardless of intended major, for a collective fellowship of creative exploration and The Fantastic Hat Parade plays a major role.

The public is warmly invited to witness The Fantastic Hat Parade. Participating students will depart toward Vanderslice Hall at 10 a.m., heading toward Oak Street and the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. The parade will return to campus along East 45th Street, with Sophomore, Junior, and Senior students cheering their arrival at the campus green.