Description
Free; advanced registration recommended. RSVP here.
While registration is appreciated, it is to help us get an understanding of how many guests to expect throughout the day. If registration is "sold out," please feel free to attending without having to register.
Join us as we celebrate Diwali, the festival of lights, at an after-hours event where we light up the museum in celebration of light overcoming darkness. Enjoy food and sweets, watch performances, create crafts, and more.
Food Vendors
3–8 p.m.
Enjoy cuisine from the Indian diaspora with local food vendors on the Freer Plaza, including Rasa, DC Dosa, Trini Vybez, and Himalayan Soul Food.
Try a sampling of traditional Diwali sweets from Swaadish by Neelma in gallery 27, located outside of the shop in the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, level B1.
(Samples are first come, first served while supplies last.)
Crafts & Coloring
3–5 p.m. – Join artist Shanthi Chandrasekar as she creates a special kolam for the celebration outside of the Freer Plaza.
3-6 p.m. - Color a diya in the Sackler Pavilion in the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery on level 1.
3–8 p.m. - Make a postcard in the Freer Courtyard to wish your family and friends a happy Diwali.
Performances
3:30–5:30 p.m. – Enjoy dance performances throughout the day from AU Agni, GW Raas, Georgetown Guzaarish, and more, including A Diwali Story by Bushra Khan of B.Event.Choreography!
3:30–5:30 p.m. – Special pop-up dance performances by Spilling Ink.
6 p.m. – Performance by Rāginī Ensemble on the Freer Plaza.
7:30 p.m. – Dance performance by DC Bhangra Crew to kick off our Afterhours Dance Party.
7:45–9:15 p.m. – Afterhours Dance Party on the Freer Plaza!
Special Decorations
5–9:30 p.m. – Enjoy seeing the Freer Plaza and Moongate Garden lit up to celebrate Diwali. Lights will turn on at sundown (around 5 p.m.).
