City Hall glowed pink and yellow as San Francisco rang in the Festival of Lights with dancing, feasting and glow-in-the-dark hula-hooping.
The Bhangra & Beats Night Market’s Diwali celebration — the city’s first official observance of the Indian holiday — drew thousands of people Friday to Battery and Clay streets in downtown, which crackled with fireworks, flickering clay lamps and grills cooking up fragrant South Asian fare.
The event culminated the Bhangra & Beats season, which drew more than 34,000 people to the Financial District over the course of three installments this year, according to the Mayor’s Office.
It also marked the 20th anniversary of one of the impresarios, Non Stop Bhangra, a collective that produces events showcasing traditional Punjabi folk music and dance.
Non Stop Bhangra spearheaded the South Asian-themed market initiative with cultural production studio Into the Streets and the city’s Office of Economic Development.
The street party on Friday brought out the biggest crowds yet in the event series thanks to the draw of Diwali — and an all-Indian music lineup headlined by Bhangra celebrity DJ Frenzy.
Ranjan Dey, the chef and owner of New Delhi restaurant — a legacy San Francisco business — said he couldn’t think of a better way to close out another Bhangra & Beats season.
“Diwali celebrates the victory of light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance and triumph of good over evil,” he said. “This first ever official Diwali celebration in San Francisco is history in the making.”
