Oakland's 4th annual free Diwali festival welcomes families for dancing and food

Oakland Oakland's 4th annual free Diwali festival welcomes families for dancing and food By Alyssa Goard • Published November 7, 2026 • Updated on November 8, 2026 at 10:39 am Around this time of year, many people around the world celebrate the South Asian festival of lights: Diwali. In Oakland on Saturday night, families from all backgrounds and from all around the Bay Area came together for the 4th Annual Oakland Diwali festival, held at the Block15 venue near Jack London Square. The event (including food and entertainment) is free for the public. Watch NBC Bay Area News free wherever you are WATCH HERE Oakland District 4 City Council Member Janani Ramachandran, who was the first South Asian elected to office in the city of Oakland, organizes the festival. She said Oakland's festival is unique in that it provides free food for all attendees. Ramachandran also noted that last year, the event drew around 1,200 attendees. The San Francisco Unicorns Major League Cricket Team, which plays at the Oakland Coliseum, was one of the groups with a booth at the event. "As you can see here, there was a line at the door at 6 p.m., people want a Diwali celebration that feels inclusive, that feels Oakland," she said. This year's event drew 2,100 people entering and exiting in total, Ramachandran said. The event space was packed to standing-room-only levels by the time the dancing and speeches got underway. State Assemblymember Ash Kalra, who was the first Indian American to serve in the state legislature, also spoke at the event. Local Sheng Thao 47 minutes ago Credibility of star witness challenged at corruption trial of former Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao San Jose State 56 minutes ago San Jose State postpones Native American Heritage Month events, sparking backlash Ramachandran noted that many people across the globe celebrate Diwali or similar holidays, and the Oakland event is designed to be a welcoming space for each of those traditions. "Oakland Diwali is really a celebration that’s for everybody, that honors the cultural and spiritual roots of the holiday and brings the Oakland spice and excitement into that," she said. Multiple local companies and organizations participated in the Oakland Diwali event too. The San Francisco Unicorns Major League Cricket Team, which plays at the Oakland Coliseum, was one of the groups with a booth at the event. Aundria Mirabrishami, the General Manager of Consumer Business for the Unicorns, said she spoke with many people at the festival who said to her, "'What we have cricket in the Bay Area? We have cricket in the U.S.?'" "The answer is yes!" she emphasized. People of all ages danced and celebrated into the night at the festival, which ran through 10 p.m. Saturday night. This article tagged under: Oakland East Bay