Name: Asia After Dark | Diwali Festival
Start: 2025-10-24T16:00:00-04:00
End: 2025-10-24T21:30:00-04:00
Location: National Museum of Asian Art

Join us as we celebrate Diwali, the festival of lights, with food, performances, crafts, and more!
About this Event

Registration: Registration is recommended but not required. We use Eventbrite registration numbers to estimate how many people we expect to attend and how much supplies to prepare. Most activities have a limited capacity, with entry on a first-come, first-served basis. Registration does not guarantee entry.

Celebrate Diwali, the festival of lights, with an evening of food, music, dance, and activities! Learn how different regions celebrate this Hindu holiday, create crafts to take home, and see the museum lit up once the sun goes down.

Program Details:

Food Vendors4–9:30 p.m.West Building (Freer Gallery of Art), PlazaEnjoy cuisine from the Indian diaspora. Local food vendors include Rasa, Himalayan Soul Food, and CHA Street Food.

Crafts & Activities4-9 p.m.East Building (Arthur M. Sackler Gallery)Decorate a rangoli with Kulture Khazana (Gallery 27, level B1)

West Building (Freer Gallery of Art)Create a diya with Sanyukta Mathur and Courtney Pippin-Mathur (South Corridor)Join artist Shanthi Chandrasekar as she creates a special kolam live (Courtyard)

4-6 p.m.West Building (Freer Gallery of Art)Learn about various objects from the museum’s collection and play fun activities with our Family Fun team (North Corridor)

6–7p.m.West Building (Freer Gallery of Art)Learn about how we conserve objects in the museum’s collection with the Conservation team (Galleries 1-2)

PerformancesWest Building (Freer Gallery of Art), Plaza4-6:15 p.m.Dance performances by Soul Rhythm Dance and Vicious Vicinity

6:30–9:30 p.m.Afterhours Dance Party

Tours and Spotlight Talks5 p.m. & 7 p.m.West Building (Freer Gallery of Art)Curator-led gallery tour: Body Transformed with curator Emma Stein (Galleries 1-2)

6 p.m. & 8 p.m.East Building (Arthur M. Sackler Gallery)Curator-led gallery tour: Art of Knowing with curator Debra Diamond (Gallery 22)

Special DecorationsWest Building (Freer Gallery of Art), Plaza and Courtyard6–9:30 p.m.Once the sun goes down, see the museum lit up to celebrate Diwali.