Hemisfair and the Arneson River Theatre will glow with bright colors during the 17th annual Diwali San Antonio Festival of Lights.
Diwali SA will feature traditional Indian dance, food, crafts and a river parade from 4:30 p.m. to midnight on Saturday, Nov. 1. The event, hosted by the City of San Antonio and AnujaSA, will be free and open to the public.
Diwali is a Hindu festival that celebrates the persevering triumph of light over darkness, primarily celebrated in India across several different cultures. People celebrating Diwali light diyas, oil lamps used in prayer and other sacred ceremonies in the Hindu, Sikh, Jain, and Buddhist faiths. The lights represent the rise of good over evil or knowledge over ignorance.
Tea light candle diyas were placed in the Civic Park springs during the Diwali SA festival on Saturday, Nov. 4, 2023. Credit: Brenda Bazán / San Antonio Report
“San Antonio’s rich multiculturalism is celebrated with events like Diwali SA,” said Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones in a press release. “This celebration brings residents and tourists together to have an authentic cultural experience, bringing India to the heart of Downtown San Antonio at Hemisfair, in celebration of the San Antonio-Chennai Sister-City relationship.”
The sister city agreement between San Antonio and Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu, India, was established in 2008 in an effort to welcome cultural exchanges between the two cities. Diwali SA is the result of the relationship, and it’s the largest city-sponsored celebration of its kind in the country.
AnujaSA, the nonprofit responsible for organizing the event, was created to promote the alliance between the sister cities and work with the city’s International Relations Office. The organization cultivates an exchange of arts and culture, medicine, education, business and sports between San Antonio and Chennai.
Henna tattoo artists decorate the hands and arms of Diwali attendees. Credit: Scott Ball / San Antonio Report
Three stages across the event will showcase classical, folk and fusion dances from around India. Attendees can check out the India Bazaar which will offer henna art, clothing, jewelry, artwork and more. There will also be Indian food from different parts of the country for sale.
The river parade will float past the Arneson River Theatre during the festival around 6 p.m. and diyas will be released after. A schedule and map of the event can be found on AnujaSA’s website.