Event now ended S+4
Holi Celebration
at The Seaport
at The Seaport
Due to inclement weather on Saturday, March 23, the annual Holi Celebration will now take place on Sunday, March 24.
Colorful puppets. Dances. Drummers. Delicious food and powder play. The annual Holi celebration lets us shake off the winter blues and celebrate the arrival of spring. This year, the Seaport in partnership with The Culture Tree and the South Street Seaport Museum invite you to join the celebration of the traditional Indian festival of colors on Sunday, March 24, from 11:00am–1:00pm.
Bring the kids, bring your friends, and join us for a colorful morning, which will include an interactive paintball mural, dance workshops, delicious tastings, art activity, a puppet storytime, music by DJ Magic Mike and, of course, spirited fun with brightly colored powder.
Visitors can also sample traditional Indian cuisine enjoyed during this annual holiday, purchase Holi’s signature colored powders and shop at the outdoor Indian market at Pier 16 featuring nearly a dozen Indian owned-businesses.
Please purchase your colors here. In celebration of Holi, guests are encouraged to wear an all-white outfit to help amplify the Powder Play experience.
Free With RsvpEvent Info
Sunday, March 24, 2024
10:00am–4:00pm
Multiple locations
Eat & Drink S+4
In honor of Holi, there are plenty of opportunities to enjoy delicious dishes. Come and enjoy the flavors of the holiday across the neighborhood.
Colorful Brunch at Malibu Farm
Greens on your plate. A rainbow of juices. Malibu Farm is opening early, at 10am, on Saturday, March 23 and Sunday, March 24. Come for brunch or lunch before the rest of the day’s festivities, or pop in to refuel between celebrations. In the spirit of Holi, colorful foods and drinks will be the in the spotlight, from avocado green toast to yellow, red and green tacos, and a range of colorful juices to give you a healthy boost.
Book a Table
PLUS starting at 11:00am, enjoy complimentary tandoori chicken skewers and chilled iced tea served by The Tuck Room in front of the iPic Theaters on the cobblestones. While supplies last.
Celebrate with us
Puppet story time. Powder play. Live DJs , dancing and more!
Foods of Holi
11:00am | 1885 tall ship Wavertree, Seaport Museum | Free
Begin the Holi celebration at the Seaport Museum with a family-friendly book reading and talk on the traditional foods of Holi by Priya Krishna, an award-winning food reporter for The New York Times. Priya will share insights from her new book, Priya’s Kitchen Adventures, an illustrated cookbook for kids and parents. Following the reading, there will be an interactive cooking segment led by Anu Sehgal, founder and CEO of The Culture Tree, which will culminate in a tasting of Shahi Toast, a sweet Holi delicacy.
Advanced registration is encouraged for this free family program but walkups will be accommodated as possible.
Register Now
HOLI PUPPET STORYTIME
11:30am | Piers 16 & 17, Seaport Square | Free
The puppet storytime, Colors of Krishna’s Love, highlights one of the most beloved stories from Krishna’s childhood, engaging in games and antics with his friends and family, including his friends Radha and Sudama. These beautiful moments from Krishna’s life celebrate unconditional love and friendship. The storytime will include dance, drama, puppetry, songs and a grand finale in which the children can play with their own Krishna, Sudama and Radha puppets. This show is produced in partnership with WonderSpark Puppets and The Culture Tree.
Holi Powder Play
12:00 & 12:30pm | Piers 16 & 17, Seaport Square | Free
12:00pm – We will count down to the first powder play with our dholi, so get your gulaal and cameras ready, as the Seaport sky turns rainbow with the colors of Holi
12:30pm – The festivities will end with the second powder play, the quintessential part of Holi, in which everyone will be able to play Holi with colors (Holi Hai!!) We will also have a short Holi performance by children from Shehnaaz Dance Academy.
Holi Dance & Drum Performance
12:05pm | Piers 16 & 17, Seaport Square | Free
The Holi celebration continues with a colorful and vibrant dance performance by dancers Meha Sadana and Anjali Akula, who will perform to several Holi songs, followed by dance workshop, which will get everyone moving to popular songs, as Dholi Amrit from Premier Drummers will join in to provide a soundtrack of traditional beats.
Holi Collaborative Mural
11:00am–5:00pm | Pier 16, Seaport Museum | Free General Admission
Visitors of all ages are invited to continue the Holi celebration with the Seaport Museum by joining in to create a vibrant collaborative mural inspired by the colorful pigment and balloon fights of the annual festival. Every participant will be provided with a colorful paintball to add their touch to the mural. Supplies are limited. This activity takes place outdoors at Pier 16 and walkups are welcome.
No additional registration required.
Holi at the Seaport Museum
11:00am–5:00pm | Seaport Museum | Free General Admission
Immerse yourself in the vibrant spirit of Holi at the South Street Seaport community celebration and enjoy free General Admission to the Seaport Museum all day! Come explore the introduction galleries at 12 Fulton Street, the historic ships at Pier 16, and the Museum’s 19th-century-style print shop Bowne & Co. free. Make sure to enjoy the Museum before joining in the throwing of colors. To ensure the care of the Seaport Museum collection, historic buildings, and ships, individuals covered in colorful pigment will not be able to come inside the Museum.
Learn More
Foods of Holi Speakers
Priya Krishna
Priya Krishna is a food reporter and video host for the New York Times and the bestselling author of multiple cookbooks including Indian-ish and Cooking at Home. Her stories have been included in the 2019 and 2021 editions of The Best American Food Writing and in 2021, she was named to Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list. She is originally from Dallas, Texas, which happens to be one of the busiest travel hubs in the world.
Anu Sehgal
Anu Sehgal is the founder and CEO of The Culture Tree. She grew up in India and moved to the US more than 25 years ago. After the move, she was starved for authentic Indian experiences and community and devoured anything that came her way: film festivals, exhibits, and book readings. Once she became a mother, the lack of quality and authentic Indian programs and classes became even more evident. She is an active parent and believes in awareness of one’s heritage, culture and language is key for children to become self-aware and confident individuals. She also recognizes the immense benefits of being bilingual.
Our Partners
The Culture Tree
The Culture Tree provides South Asian themed educational and cultural programs that enrich the lives of children and their families and promotes a deeper connection with their roots and the world around them. We use language, art, puppet shows, dance, food and the holidays to provide an immersive experience. theculturetree.com
South Street Seaport Museum
The South Street Seaport Museum, located in the heart of the South Street Seaport Historic District in New York City, preserves and interprets the history of New York as a great port city. Founded in 1967, the Museum houses an extensive collection of works of art and artifacts, exhibition galleries and education spaces, working nineteenth century print shops, and an active fleet of historic vessels that all work to tell the story of “Where New York Begins.” seaportmuseum.org
We want to thank the NYC Tourism for supporting this event.