Beth J. Harpaz
This Oct. 16, 2016 image shows performers at a Diwali celebration in Times Square in New York. Diwali is a festival of lights celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs and Jains in India and other countries, but the holiday is becoming better known in the U.S. with more public celebrations here. The Diwali celebration at Times Square is scheduled this year for Oct. 7. (Sidheshwar Chauhan/ASB Communications/Event Guru via AP)
September 26, 2017 - 5:18 AM
NEW YORK - The holiday of Diwali is starting to light up mainstream America.
Diwali, a festival of lights celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and others in India and other countries, has long been observed in immigrant communities around the U.S. But now public celebrations are starting to pop up in places ranging from Disneyland and New York's Times Square to parks and museums.
The Times Square event is the brainchild of Neeta Bhasin, who came to the U.S. from India 40 years ago and is president of ASB Communications. The Times Square event is scheduled for Oct. 7, with dance performances, Bollywood singers, a bazaar of food, saris and other goods, and a lighting ceremony.
Other celebrations will take place around the country, from Disneyland to San Antonio, Texas, to New York's Rubin Museum, which plans a 24-hour festival of Indian music.
News from © The Associated Press, 2017