Join us to kick off the fourth season of our popular Family Live Arts Cultural Series with Diwali - Festival of Lights!
Bring your children to enjoy this interactive celebration of traditional Indian dance, music, arts, food and more featuring talented local artists.
The excitement kicks off at 5:30 p.m. as artist Rinal Parikh leads children in creating brightly decorated Rangoli designs. Families will also learn about India’s fragrant cooking spices, oils and herbs with Ayurvedic practitioner Neha Jain while enjoying bites of savory snacks provided by Media’s Shere-e-Punjab such as samosas, naan bread and tastes of kheer, a creamy rice pudding for a treat.
At 6 p.m., the Iyer family takes to perform the classical Kathak dance of Northern India followed by the folk-style Dandiya Raas dance using sticks. The dances will be performed by Anita Singh and her daughter, accompanied by Anita’s husband, master percussionist Sriram Balasubramanian, and their son, playing classical South Indian hand drums.
Swarthmore’s Naatya Seva Academy of outstanding young dancers will then perform the intricate and rhythmic footwork of Bharatanatyam-style dances, demonstrating the footwork and hand gestures of the South Indian traditional dance form.
The celebration will end outside on the lawn as we light up the night with sparklers, symbolizing the triumph of light over darkness and the importance of unity between family, friends and community.
This event is geared toward families with kids 2 - 12 years old. It is a pay-what-you-wish event with a suggested donation of $25 per family or $5 per person.
Reservations are kindly requested below. If you’d like to make a donation ahead of time, please click below.