The Fantastic Hat Parade stands as a cherished KCAI tradition, a dazzling 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 produces inventive, boundary-pushing creations, as students engage in three-dimensional work outside the digital mediums where some may feel most comfortable. 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 the Foundation West building and head toward Vanderslice Hall at 10 a.m., cutting through campus and making a stop at 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 on the campus green.