For a few hours on one day of the year, you can launch a full-color assault on total strangers — and do so not only with impunity but with welcome smiles.
Holi is a joyful Hindu celebration that’s open to anyone who wants to participate. In religious terms, it honors Hindu deities Krishna, Radha and Narasimha, but in secular terms it not only welcomes the arrival of spring but because everyone gets covered in colored power, serves as a way to break down social barriers and make everyone equal.
In Naperville, the 16th annual Holi – The Festival of Colors will be held from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 4, in Naperville’s Rotary Hill Park, between Aurora Avenue and the Naperville Riverwalk.
It’s hosted by Simply Vedic (Vedic Cultural Society), a nonprofit organization in Naperville that began in 2006 with a goal of bettering the community through educational and cultural programs.
In addition to inviting participants to welcome spring by tossing safe, organically dyed powder into the air and at each other, the gathering will include food, music and dancing, said Sarita Sharma, Simply Vedic’s vice president.
There’s no admission cost, and bags of the powder can be purchased for $2.50. They’re only to be used within a designated area, Sharma said, and there’s an eye-washing station should someone get powder in their eyes.
Sharma credits the festival’s longevity in Naperville to the feeling of camaraderie it inspires.
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“It’s the first festival after the winter and people like to come out and celebrate community,” she said. “No matter where you come from — your background, your age — everybody’s there. Little kids, older people, dogs. That’s the beauty of it. For me personally, I look around and I feel so good seeing so many happy faces.”
It’s also a chance to celebrate Indian customs, food and arts, she said.
“We will have so much Indian culture (including) traditional performances at the top of the hour. We know … it’s about music, food and color.”
Lemont-based band Timing’s Everything will perform pop, rock and country hits. The music provides the perfect backdrop to the throwing of color, Sharma said.
Four dance groups will perform every hour. Each has about half a dozen members who will perform dressed in traditional costumes.
Freshly prepared vegetarian and vegan food will be available as well as American foods and drinks.
“People love it. They come with an open mind and ask questions and enjoy it,” Sharma said of the food.
People tell her the festival’s feeling of inclusion and good vibes is what has them coming back year after year, she said.
“People love to come out after winter and see all kinds of people there,” she said. “It is one large community. And the openness and the friendliness and the happy faces. People look forward to it. They can be as messy as they can be.”
Colors will be thrown at the top of every hour beginning at noon and continuing through 4 p.m. There’s a countdown before the fun begins, she said.
Participants are urged to keep their phones and wallets safe in a plastic bag and to bring a trash bag or old towel to sit on for the car ride home.
“It’s a beautiful sight when you see the colors in the sky,” Sharma said. “People feel so free and forget their worries, at least for a day.”
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Annie Alleman is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.