Celebrate the arrival of spring at the Festival of Colors

This Saturday, March 28, Repentance Park will be filled with color, music and dancing as Baton Rouge celebrates Holi, also known as the Festival of Colors. 

Holi is an Indian Hindu holiday that celebrates the arrival of spring. The festival also represents new beginnings, the triumph of light over dark, forgiveness and harmony. 

Widely celebrated across India, the holiday brings communities together and invites people to cover themselves in heaps of colorful powder. Manisha Patel started Baton Rouge’s Holi Festival with her husband, Rubin, in 2019. According to Patel, the crowds coated in color represent the festival’s purpose of connection. 

“By the end of the day, everyone is covered, and everyone looks the same, so you can’t tell any difference. So it’s got a really awesome meaning behind it,” Patel says.

The Patels’ decision to bring a Holi celebration to Baton Rouge was simple. As both were the first generation born in the United States to Indian-American immigrant parents, the couple wanted to celebrate the holiday they had heard stories about growing up. 

“This is actually something I never experienced,” Patel says. “I had just seen pictures and had known about this holiday, but our parents went, obviously, growing up in India. So it was just something that we wanted to do, just to bring a little diversity and culture into our community here in Baton Rouge.”

Baton Rouge’s Holi Festival is organized by the board members of the nonprofit, non-religious organization Colors of the World. Patel says many members also have an Indian background and like to share this tradition with their children. 

Attendees do not have to be of Indian descent to celebrate Holi, though—Patel says the event is open for anyone to enjoy. With a DJ, food and drink vendors like Schlittz & Giggles, Bay Leaf Indian Cuisine and Fred’s in Tigerland, as well as cultural dance demonstrations and kid-friendly activities, the festival brings joy to everyone who wants to experience it.

“My single favorite part of this is that for three hours, everyone just has a smile on their face. It’s just so much joy. And you can tell there’s just no worries on anyone, and it’s just pure happiness and joy and smiling,” Patel says.

Holi Festival in Baton Rouge has grown substantially since its inaugural event in 2019, which drew around 350 attendees. This year, Patel expects around 1,000 guests. 

Sponsor and vendor support from the Baton Rouge community has also improved the festival’s attendance. Patel says she has been amazed by just how much help she has received. 

“I think it’s just evolved kind of organically and naturally. We’ve got sponsors who have been with us since year one, which has been amazing, and then we get new sponsors almost every year. So it’s really grown in the local businesses’ support of it. But I think just through awareness through word of mouth, we’ve grown tremendously as far as people,” Patel says.

Each year, a portion of the festival’s proceeds benefits a different local organization. This year, proceeds will go to Red Stick Cares. Over five years, more than $50,000 has been donated by Colors of the World. Giving back to the community is one of the things Patel says she is most proud of.  

Admission is free for the Holi Festival. Food, drinks and colorful powder will be available for purchase. The event will last from 1 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, March 28, at Repentance Park, located at 275 S. River Rd.