Nov 7, 2026
Diwali Lights Up Asia Society 2026
Asia Society New York hosts Diwali Lights on Saturday, November 7, 2026, 1 to 4 p.m., at 725 Park Avenue, with The Culture Tree. Dance, puppet Ramleela, crafts, and a new children's book.
Asia Society New York is doing Diwali on Saturday, November 7, 2026, from 1 to 4 p.m. at 725 Park Avenue.
The Culture Tree is the collaborator. It is a New York South Asian education group that runs Hindi and Urdu classes and festival days, and it has partnered on this building's Diwali for several years. The afternoon is built for families: Bharatanatyam and Kathak in the auditorium at 1:15, an interactive Ramleela puppet show with WonderSpark Puppets at 2:15, then ghoomar and bhangra at 3. WonderSpark is the New York puppet company that tours school and museum rooms. The eighth floor has diya-making, henna, mithai decorating, and storytime from 1 to 4.
A new children's book, My Diwali Story, launches that day. Teens lead the storytime. There is also a Ganesh statue meet-and-greet in the visitor center. Leo Cafe, the in-house cafe, is running a Diwali menu.
Register on the Asia Society page before you assume you can walk in. Past editions have sold out. The official listing does not lock a public price in the body copy, so check the ticket drawer.
The building is Edward Larrabee Barnes's eight-story red-granite headquarters at Park Avenue and 70th Street, dedicated in April 1981 so the Rockefeller collection would have a public home. You will be in the auditorium and on the eighth floor, not doing a museum circuit unless you add time. The 6 train to 68th Street–Hunter College is the clean arrival. Do not drive unless you like garage math.
Actual Diwali is the next night, November 8. Flushing Town Hall is already done, on November 1. Edison's park festival is the same Saturday evening in New Jersey. You cannot honestly do Park Avenue at 1 and Papaianni Park at 5. Houston readers who want the Texas cousin can use Asia Society Texas Diwali Lights on October 18.
Our take: register if you want crafts and a seated Ramleela with kids. If you want a field and food trucks, Edison is the one. If you want Times Square, that Saturday is already behind you.
When: November 7, 2026, 1–4 p.m.
Where: Asia Society, 725 Park Ave, New York, NY 10021
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