Staten Island Celebrates First Large-Scale Holi Festival

Vibrant colors, music, and dance mark the community's first outdoor Holi celebration

Apr. 18, 2026 at 11:06pm

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A high-contrast silkscreen print in neon pink, yellow, and blue hues, depicting a repeating pattern of a traditional Indian drum used in Holi celebrations, conceptually representing the festival's lively music and dance.The vibrant colors and joyful energy of Staten Island's first large-scale Holi festival brought the community together in a celebration of spring, culture, and unity.Staten Island Today

The Staten Island Hindu Temple hosted the borough's first large-scale Holi festival, featuring traditional Indian music, dance performances, and a celebratory color throw where attendees playfully covered each other in vibrant powders. The event, organized in partnership with GlimmR Events & Entertainment, aimed to introduce the joyful spring festival to the local South Asian community and their children.

Why it matters

Holi is a major Hindu festival celebrated across India, marking the arrival of spring and the triumph of good over evil. Bringing this colorful tradition to Staten Island helps preserve cultural heritage and allows the local South Asian community to share their festivities with the broader public.

The details

The Rang De Holi festival took place in Midland Beach and included traditional Indian food, music by local dance troupe Lasya Dance Academy, and a culminating color throw where attendees covered each other in bright powders. Organizers from the Staten Island Hindu Temple and event company GlimmR Events & Entertainment worked to create an immersive, celebratory atmosphere for both children and adults to experience the vibrant Holi tradition.

  • The Rang De Holi festival was held on Saturday, April 12, 2026.
  • This marked the first large-scale Holi celebration ever hosted on Staten Island.

The players

Staten Island Hindu Temple

A 1,000-member Hindu temple that organized the Rang De Holi festival to bring the traditional spring celebration to the local community.

GlimmR Events & Entertainment

A Staten Island-based company that specializes in Bollywood and Indian fusion dance and events, and partnered with the Hindu Temple to produce the Holi festival.

Kamala Anantharam

A trustee of the Staten Island Hindu Temple who helped realize the vision of hosting a large-scale Holi celebration on Staten Island.

Roshi George

The founder and creative director of GlimmR Events & Entertainment, who expressed excitement about creating a space for the community to celebrate through color, culture, and joy.

Lasya Dance Academy

A local dance troupe that performed traditional Indian dances at the Holi festival, delighting both children and adults.

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What they’re saying

“The event is the realization of a long-held vision to host a vibrant Holi festival, featuring music, food, and an outdoor function where we can throw colors, enjoy music, dance, and celebrate as a community.”

— Kamala Anantharam, Trustee, Staten Island Hindu Temple

“We're excited to introduce a Holi celebration of this scale to Staten Island. We've always envisioned creating a space where people can come together through color, culture, and pure joy, and seeing that vision come to life in such a vibrant and colorful way means everything to us.”

— Roshi George, Founder and Creative Director, GlimmR Events & Entertainment

What’s next

The Staten Island Hindu Temple and GlimmR Events & Entertainment plan to make the Rang De Holi festival an annual tradition, continuing to bring the vibrant spring celebration to the local community.

The takeaway

The Rang De Holi festival on Staten Island demonstrates how cultural traditions can be successfully shared and celebrated within diverse communities. By hosting this large-scale event, the local South Asian population was able to introduce the joyful Holi festival to their neighbors, fostering cross-cultural understanding and a sense of community.