Celebrate Holi

Celebrate springtime’s most vibrant celebration at Brooklyn Children’s Museum! Get ready for our annual celebration of springtime, renewal, color, and play.

Known as the “Color Festival,” Holi originated in India and is now enjoyed by millions of people worldwide. Join us Saturday, May 3 for a day of play featuring Bollywood dancing, puppet shows, delicious treats, art-making, music, and more.

And it wouldn’t be Holi without color powder! We’ll be taking over neighboring Brower Park with pounds of color powder to throw in the air. Make sure to wear WHITE for color powder play and secure your tickets and powder early for this unforgettable day.

Overview

Three 2.5-hour sessions available: 10:00 am – 12:30 pm, 1:00 pm – 3:30 pm, and 4:00 pm – 6:30 pm. Each session includes the same performances and ends with color powder play—rain or shine! To manage crowds and cleanup, visitors must exit after their session concludes.

Depending on weather, color powder play will happen in the park next door or on our rooftop terrace, which is protected from the elements by a large canopy.

Schedule

STEP 1: EXPLORE & MAKE

The first 1.5 hours offer multiple activities to enjoy before the main celebration.

Make Paper Pichkaris in ColorLab

🕒 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm

A pichkari is a traditional Indian water gun used during the Hindu festival of Holi. Join artist Manasi Arya to make your own paper version of this fun tool!

Experiment with Plant Dyes in Nature’s Engineers

🕒 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm

Learn about plants and the colors that they produce! Test different plant-based pigments to create your own unique colors inspired by traditional holi powder.

Henna

🕒 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm

Decorate your hands with the hottest henna designs of the season! Celebrate holi with traditional and modern henna tattoos, drawn by professional henna artists. Please note that this offering will be on a first come first serve basis.

Spices & Thandai Milkshake

🕒 1:15 pm – 1:40 pm

Join Anu Sehgal from The Culture Tree for an introduction to the traditional spices and flavors of India. Learn how to make a Thandai milkshake and get a taste afterwards.

The Color of Krishna’s Love: Puppet Show

🕒 1:45 pm – 2:15 pm

WonderSpark presents “The Color of Krishna’s Love” a highly interactive hand puppet show that is a fun introduction to the festival of Holi, and Krishna.

STEP 2: DANCE & CELEBRATE

Join us on our rooftop as Ajna Dance Company leads a Bollywood dance workshop.

Ajna Bollywood Dance

🕒 2:30 pm – 3:00 pm

Hear the story of Holi and move to the rhythms of Bollywood dance with Ajna Dance Company. This 30-minute program includes storytelling, a dance performance, and a dance workshop that showcases the traditions and rituals of Holi. After the performance join the drumming procession to Brower Park for the Holi Powder party!

STEP 3: COLOR PLAY

Follow our procession to Brower Park for the main event! Get your powder and join DJ Dynamite for Hindi hits and color play.

Color Powder Party

🕒 3:00 pm – 3:30 pm

Let the party begin! Pick up your powder and get ready as DJ Dynamite plays dance music for color powder play.