Asian Art Smithsonian After Dark: Diwali

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art will host a special Asia After Dark event to commemorate Diwali, the Hindu festival of light. The celebration will take place Friday, Oct. 24, 4–9:30 p.m., on the museum’s Freer Plaza. The event is free and open to the public.

Visitors can enjoy dance performances, food, curator-led tours, hands-on crafts and more. The night will continue with a DJ dance party under the stars. The full list of activities is available online. The museum also offers many resources to learn about Diwali, such as virtual tours of related collections, educator resources and webinars.

Diwali spans five days and marks the beginning of the new year in the Hindu calendar. Traditionally celebrated after the year’s last harvest, celebrants honor the goddess of abundance Lakshmi, inviting her to enter and bless their homes, temples and other public spaces. Lights are important to Diwali because Hindu belief holds that Lakshmi cannot enter a dark space.

More than 5,000 people attended the National Museum of Asian Art’s Diwali celebration in November 2024.