Diwali Festival Coming To Hoboken

The Indian festival – Diwali, the annual festival of lights, will be coming to the Hoboken waterfront for the first time from 4 to 11 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 10.

Surati for Performing Arts and Education will be organizing the festival with support from the Hudson County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs (HCOCHA) and The City of Hoboken.

The festival will be held at Pier A Park in Hoboken.

“We have previously organized Diwali in Hoboken indoors for a limited audience,” Rimli Roy, artistic director and founder of Surati said. “This year we are eager to open it up to the public, and create another memorable festive event on the waterfront.”

The festival is supported by Hudson County for Cultural Affairs and the City of Hoboken.

According to a release, the festival of Diwali originated in India as a celebration of the victory of good over evil. Traditionally, it marks the grand finale of nine nights (Navaratri) of festive celebration, when houses, doorsteps, streets and squares in India are illuminated with lights and elaborate fireworks.

The festival will feature live entertainment acts, performances by the Surati team, a theatrical production of the epic Ramayana and the story of Diwali, acts on stage, fireworks, DJ, dancing, a cash bar, food and drinks.

The event will also include a fashion show that will “showcase fashions of the various ethnicities of Hudson County,” a release stated.

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