Holi celebrations paint the US in color

Holi, the Hindu Festival of Colors, is celebrated across the U.S. this month in a burst of powder, music and community.

Colors all over: Cities from California to New York mark the holiday with major public events. At Manhattan’s South Street Seaport, hundreds turned out for the festivities on Saturday afternoon. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who is Indian American, marked the holiday on social media, writing, “Growing up, Holi was more than just a celebration of spring — it was an embrace of joy in all its colors and a chance to revel with family.” In Washington, D.C., the Embassy of India co-hosted a free festival at Dupont Circle Park, offering a dance performance, masala chai and traditional sweets.

Meanwhile, thousands turned out at Bay Area parks in San Jose and Dublin, where participants danced and showered each other with color. Houston, Michigan, Los Angeles and Seattle rounded out the national slate, with Seattle running a series of color festivals through late March.

About Holi: Holi is a Hindu festival observed across South Asia and by diaspora communities around the world, celebrating the arrival of spring and the triumph of good over evil. This year, it fell on March 3 to 4, coinciding with a total lunar eclipse. Celebrations traditionally begin on the eve of the festival with a communal bonfire. The following day, participants dress in white and shower one another with gulal, the colored powders and water that define the holiday.

The Hindu American Foundation notes, “As vibrant powders are shared, social boundaries fade, representing unity, equality, and the belief that everyone is the same beneath the color. The celebration becomes a reminder of connection, forgiveness and fresh beginnings.”

Why this matters: The scale of this year’s celebrations reflects how deeply South Asian culture has taken root in the U.S. Many events were co-organized with local governments and civic institutions, from Redmond City Hall in Washington to the Embassy of India in D.C. Beyond institutional support, Holi serves as a way for diaspora families to pass on their heritage.