Over 3000 people attend the 14th annual Holi Hai celebrations at Exchange Place in Jersey City
On Saturday, June 6th, Surati for Performing Arts hosted its 15th Annual Holi Hai Festival of Colors in Exchange Place, Jersey City, attracting diverse crowd of over 3000 from far and wide
The huge group gathered at Exchange Place to participate in the festivities that took place against the spectacular view of the Manhattan Skyline. The program included multicultural performances by over 20 artists, a variety of food and beverages, retail vendors, DJ and kid-friendly recreational and educational activities, a press release from organizers said.
The climactic part of the live event comprised celebrity acts, including an Indian Classical piano recital and a vocal performance by Calypso legend of Bengal, Sumit Roy, followed by Bollywood songs by playback singer Pritha Majumder and international composer/performer Rajesh Roy who were guest invited artists already visiting the U.S to perform at the International Voices Festival in Jersey City.
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Amongst the other notable performances were an Indian Classical Bharatnatyam dance by 6-8 year old girls, who are Surati FPA students, tutored by the Harsha Harikumar, one of Surati’s lead dancers and instructor who also performed a Bharatnatyam and The Mythological Story of Holi.
The crowd was brought to its feet by a Bollywood dance performance by the adult students of Surati FPA, an Assamese folk dance (Bihu) solo by Indian Council for Cultural Relations’ artist Moushumi Phukan, followed by an interactive session of Bhangra dance by Masala Bhangra founder Sarina Jain.
Ahana (Bharatnatyam), Mohini (Lavni), a live jazz performance of saxophone / flute (Alex De Lazzari) and drums (Charlize Diaz) were also part of the program.
Finally, founder of Surati FPA, Rimli Roy, joined the Surati team dancers Vidhya Dinesh, Harsha Harikumar and Mohini on stage for a Bengali folk dance.
The dignitaries and sponsors were named and honored on stage. Those vendors who had stalls for food, jewelry and individual artists, and retail businesses of Jersey City, were honored as well.
Among the high-profile attendees were Jersey City Mayor James Solomon, Gina Hulings (Director of Hudson County Cultural Affairs), Consular General Shri Tsewang Gyaltson (Indian Consul of Community Affairs, Consulate General of India in New York) Councilmen Rolando R. Lavarro (At-large), Tom Zuppa (Ward C, which is where Surati Studios is located) and Eleana Little (Ward E), Sponsor Neiha Kapoor – Keller Williams Realty Metropolitan, Shahid Qureshi of Blue Foundry Bank (Corporate booth sponsor), celebrity performers of India Sumit Roy, Rajesh Roy and Pritha Majumder, Sarina Jain (Masala Bhangra Founder), along with prime and pillar team members of Surati FPA including Abhilasha Mehra, Jayanta Banerjee, Rijah Banerjee and Harsha Harikumar. All performers were called on stage during the concluding ceremonies.
A half-hourly color countdown saw the gathering enjoying the Holi colored powder in the air, in sync with rocking music or with countdowns chanted by hosts and some honored guests & VIP’s.
Late in the afternoon, a DJ rocked the crowd till sundown.
Christine Goodman, Director of Cultural Affairs, City of Jersey City, said, “Like previous years, Surati Holi Hai has aimed to create a truly multicultural and inclusive experience welcoming people of all ages, backgrounds, and communities to celebrate together through art and shared joy.
Surati Holi Hai 2026 was made possible through the generous support of community organizations, tourism partners, cultural institutions, and local businesses committed to celebrating diversity, arts, and multicultural community engagement, organizers said in the press release.