Giant alebrije sculptures fill Downtown Garland Square in free exhibit through March

A three-headed dragon about 14 feet tall now stands in Downtown Garland. Nearby is a seahorse with tentacles. They're part of "Alebrijes: A Dreamworld in Downtown Garland," a free, six-month outdoor exhibition of huge sculptures based on Mexican folk art. It opened Thursday, Oct. 8, and runs through March 29, 2027.

Alebrijes are a traditional Mexican folk art known for imaginative creatures, bright colors and detailed designs. Master artisans from Mexico City made the pieces in Garland. They mix parts of real animals, mythical beasts and dream images. Visit Garland says the exhibit draws on Mexican cartonería, the craft of papier-mâché sculpture. Many people first saw alebrijes in Disney and Pixar's animated film "Coco."

According to Visit Garland, the exhibit has four main sculptures. Bicéfalo, the three-headed dragon, is by artist Alberto Moreno Fernández. Alejandro Camacho Barrera made two of them: L'aquarium, the 12-foot seahorse with tentacles, and Patapez, a fish with feet. The fourth, Osita Emilia, is by Perla Miriam Salgado Zamorano.

WFAA reports that visitors can also play an interactive lotería scavenger hunt as they walk the public art trail downtown. The exhibit is free and outdoors, so families can stop by on a weeknight stroll or plan a trip around it. The city is also hosting Día de los Muertos Garland downtown from 2 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24.

More information is available from Visit Garland at visitgarlandtx.com. This story is based on original reporting by NBC 5 DFW, with more details from WFAA and Visit Garland.