New York City’s Holi celebrations are more like modern parties with some Indian music and food. Mainly adult events, they resemble night club parties combined with outdoor color play. Many of these events do not allow colors from outside, making it mandatory to purchase safe colors at the venue. Most events ask you to wear white for the color play. The cruise and yard parties are ticketed and sell off well in advance.
Holi at the Seaport, Manhattan, NY, is a free event at Seaport Square featuring color play, dance performances, interactive dance workshop, and children’s program on the Waver tree ship includes puppet shows, book readings, photo opportunities and craft activities. An outdoor Indian Market offers shopping.
Holi in the City, Brooklyn, holds a large open air party with music and color play.
Holi Fest at 230 Fifth, Manhattan, the rooftop bar, holds Holi parties on the 20th floor location, blending indoor nightclub and outdoor celebration. Its special features include photo stations, a celebrity DJ, Indian street-style food and views of Manhattan including the Empire State Building.
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Pier, 36 in Manhattan offers Bollywood Holi Cruises, New York City’s boat rides with music, dance and dinner.
New York Public Library also holds Holi celebrations with cultural activities, book readings and art at its 53rd Street branch in Manhattan.
Holi Haiii NYC Cruise is a cruise party on the Hudson River aboard a premium multi-deck cruise ship with the backdrop of New York City’s skyline. The event only for adults includes live music with dhol and DJ playing popular Bollywood tunes, photo booths and color play with organic colors provided with the ticket. It is both an indoor and an outdoor event.
Phagwah in NYC is primarily celebrated with a massive, vibrant parade in Richmond Hill, Queens, known as “Little Guyana”—featuring thousands of participants, parade, music and color and water play. The parade has become famous in New York City’s Queens area, with live music, traditional dancing, food, and celebrating the Indian heritage of the Indo-Caribbean community.
Holi in New Jersey is celebrated with large-scale Festival of Colors events, particularly in Hudson and Middlesex counties, featuring the color play, Bollywood dancing with DJs. Major gatherings feature food vendors, traditional snacks, cultural performances, henna tattoos, face painting and children’s games.
Rang De Basanti, Edison, NJ, is an outdoor Holi celebration, with color play, dance, Bollywood music, and dhol performances. Street food vendors serve popular Indian dishes, recalling Holi melas. The event offers free admission to children under twelve for whom specific activities are designed.
Surati-Rimli Roy Holi Hai, Hudson River, NJ, is a huge celebration of color play, Holi walk, dance, food and shopping.
Holi Picnic by Sanskriti, NJ, is a family event with color play and games for children and adults. An authentic Indian lunch is part of the picnic.
Holi in Marlboro, NJ, is also an indoor family event emphasizing culture and tradition with outdoor color play. The day’s celebration includes DJ music, dance, live performances, karaoke, photo booth, games and Indian food.
Summit area YMCA Holi, NJ, held at the Summit Village Green, is an outdoor event with color play, music, dancing, arts and crafts, yoga, henna tattoos, photo booth, Holi history walk, and Indian snacks.
NJ Family Holi Festival features color play, music, dance, henna, face painting and Indian food.
There are many other Holi celebrations in New Brunswick and Livingston are in New Jersey, all featuring dance, music, DJ, color play and Indian food.
Holi Festival, DuPont Circle, Washington DC is jointly organized with the Embassy of India, is a traditional Holi celebration, with masala chai, thandai, festive sweets, traditional Indian dance and color play.
Rang De Virginia Holi Fest is an open air celebration is a family event with booths of food and drink, photo booths, color play and music.
Annual Houston Holi at Houston, TX, is one of the largest and most established celebrations in US, drawing diverse crowds from across the South. It features an outdoor concert and carnival with popular singers, free carnival rides for kids, professional dance performances, and vegetarian street food. Holi celebrations at Dallas are more traditional and spiritual.
Chicago offers distinct ways to celebrate Holi, catering to both the high-energy party crowd and families seeking cultural program.
Chicago Holi Rave, IL, an event for adults is a rooftop party with Bollywood music, dhol playing, live dance performances and color play.
Arts and Community Integration, Chicago, IL, is a Holi celebration led by Kalapriya Center for Indian Performing Arts, for families. It features cultural education on the history of Holi, Bollywood dance lessons and outdoor color play.
Holi & The Beach, Los Angeles, CA, celebrates Holi in the California fashion at the Seaside Lagoon, Redondo Beach, drawing a very large crowd and featuring a festival stage, Bollywood celebrity DJs, organic color play on the beach. A blend of traditional and modern food is a special attraction.