Diwali Night Turns the Asian Art Museum Into a Party
Crafts, music and a late dance set fill two Smithsonian buildings on one free evening.
🪔 Plan the Whole Evening
🎨 Start With Your Hands
Craft tables open at 5 PM in both buildings. In the East Building you can decorate a rangoli with Kulture Khazana in Gallery 27 or color a diya to take home, and both tables run until 9 PM. Families get their own activities and Diwali stories on the West side until 7 PM. The busiest tables run first come, first served, so arriving around 5 PM gives you the widest choice.
🎻 Sarod, Then the Dance Floor
Indian classical music anchors the middle of the evening. Swarnendu plays a sarod recital at 6 PM in the Meyer Auditorium, with Vishious Vicinity dancing on the West Plaza before and after. From 7:30 PM DJ MAIYA takes over the plaza until 9:30 PM, and the food vendors stay open until 9 PM.
🧭 Free, Register, Arrive Early
Entry is free, and the museum recommends registering on Eventbrite in advance. Registration is optional and does not guarantee entry. Some activities have a limited capacity and run on a first-come, first-served basis. The facade stays lit until 9:30 PM, and the museum is wheelchair accessible. Part of the program is ASL interpreted, and assisted listening devices are available.
