CRY San Diego Dandiya Night 2026 at the California Center for the Arts

CRY San Diego Dandiya is Saturday, October 17, 2026, from 6:00 to 11:30 p.m. at the California Center for the Arts, Escondido, 340 North Escondido Boulevard. CRY America, Child Rights and You, is the organizer. The chapter cart at events.cryamerica.org is the lock.

Advance tickets, on sale through 5:00 p.m. that day, are $35 for ages 13 and up and $18 for kids 5 to 12. Under 5 is free. Door tickets, if they still sell after 5:00, are $40 and $20. A pair of dandiya sticks is $5 on the same cart. Tickets are transferable. No returns and no refunds. Early-bird $30 / $15 ended August 31. Buy online. Questions and vendor asks go to sandiego@cryamerica.org.

The night opens with garba, the circular Gujarati dance, then moves to dandiya with sticks and a Bollywood-and-modern mix. The page also lists a jewelry and clothing marketplace and food vendors. A named concert artist is not posted. Dress is festive. Sticks are not in the ticket.

This is a fundraiser. Proceeds support CRY’s work with children in India. Prior-year turnout numbers float around social posts and chapter wrap-ups. Treat those as last year’s story, not a 2026 capacity lock. The hall is a civic arts center on Escondido Boulevard, a short walk from the downtown transit center if you ride the Sprinter. Parking is the Center’s lots. Check the board for which door is open.

The same Saturday, GASD Night 3 is the Grand Finale at Alliant International University on Pomerado Road. That night has on-site food vendors, Sangeetaben and Group on the flyer, and no posted start time. This one has a clock and a walk-up price. Pick one. Night 2 is October 10 downtown if you want a GASD floor before either Saturday.

Escondido is North County. From coastal San Diego, the 15 north is the usual drive. Factor evening freeway time before a 6:00 start. Deepotsav is already two weeks earlier at the Organ Pavilion. If you want a posted public dandiya without a GASD member order number, this is the clearer card.

Who it is for: families who want a charity floor with published hours, North County dancers who do not want to fight Convention Center parking, and anyone splitting October between a GASD downtown night and a later public dandiya. Bring cash or card for sticks and vendors. Wear shoes you can dance in for five hours.

Our take: buy the $35 if you are driving up the 15 and want hours you can plan around. Skip the door if the cart still has advance seats. Do not stack Alliant and Escondido on the same evening.

When: October 17, 2026, 6:00–11:30 p.m.
Where: California Center for the Arts, Escondido, 340 N Escondido Blvd, Escondido, CA 92025