Hundreds of children and their adult guardians gathered at the Brooklyn Children’s Museum on a warm spring Saturday in May. They were there to celebrate Holi, a pan Indian festival that heralds the arrival of spring. It is a festival made famous by the use of colored powders that can be used dry or mixed with water and thrown on other people, hopefully with their consent. That’s the case in India, where no one is safe out in public during Holi.
A little boy covered in Holi colors dances at a Holi celebration at the Brooklyn Children’s Museum (image credit: Hari Adivarekar) 
Bobby, 5, shows off his custom scorpion mehendi tattoo at a Holi celebration at the Brooklyn Children’s Museum (image credit: Hari Adivarekar) 
The live mehendi table was one of the most popular attractions for children and their adult guardians at the Brooklyn Children’s Museum Holi celebration (image credit: Hari Adivarekar) 
Layla Jones, 5, fully immersed in the pichkari making workshop as part of the Brooklyn Children’s Museum Holi celebrations on May 3, 2025.(image credit: Hari Adivarekar)
The celebrations at the Brooklyn Children’s Museum on May 3 were much more carefully organized with an emphasis on safe fun. The day kicked off with workshops in the Color Lab and at the Museum Terrace, where a half dozen stalls were set up for everything from malai kulfi and samosas to Indian puzzles, mehendi stations, and children’s books. On stage were performances by the Ajna Dance Company, storytime with The Culture Tree, and finally culminating in a Pied Piper type exit with a dholak drummer leading a procession of attendees out of the museum into Brower Park for the riot of colors that characterize Holi.
Local artist Manasi Arya led the pichkari (water canon) making workshop at Color Labs at the Brooklyn Children’s Museum (image credit: Hari Adivarekar) 
Children’s book author and founder/CEO of The Culture Tree, Anu Sehgal performed a bilingual story time using her book, Kahaani Rangeeli.(image credit: Hari Adivarekar) 
The Holi celebrations at the Brooklyn Children’s museum offered a safe space for children and adults of all backgrounds to get together and experience the joy of playing with colors (image credit: Hari Adivarekar)
“Celebrate Holi returns for another year at BCM and we look forward to this vibrant celebration,” said Atiba T. Edwards, President and CEO of Brooklyn Children’s Museum, and continued “Holi is a time to embrace spring and renewal, and to come together in celebration as one, bringing our community together through meaningful cultural experiences for upliftment and understanding.” This was reflected in the inclusive nature of the celebration, where people from all kinds of backgrounds came together to let themselves get a little immersed in Indian culture, food, and colors.
A dholak drummer led a procession of children through the museum to Brower park next door to kick off Holi celebrations at the Brooklyn Children’s Museum (image credit: Hari Adivarekar) 
The Ajna dance company enthralled the audience on the terrace of the Brooklyn Children’s Museum, at a Holi celebration (image credit: Hari Adivarekar) 
Indian savoury and sweet snacks were selling out on the terrace including batches of freshly fried samosas by Veeray da Dhaba, at a Holi celebration at the Brooklyn Children’s Museum (image credit: Hari Adivarekar)
All photos of children were made with the informed consent of their parents/guardians.