Experience Diwali for 1st time at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden: 'Celebrating the culture'

HENRICO COUNTY, Va. — Experience Diwali for the first time at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden this Saturday from 12 to 8 p.m.

The one-day event will feature a marketplace with Indian and other kinds of foods and other activities.

"We will also have henna artists creating different henna tattoos and Bollywood music and dancers, Bollywood dancers," Michelle Israel, Lewis Ginter's director of exhibitions, said. "So it'll be a variety of entertainment celebrating the culture in general."

Diwali, the Hindu Festival of Lights, is a holiday that celebrates the victory of light over darkness, Israel said.

The festival is connected to various religious events, deities and personalities like Rama a Hindu god who defeats the evil King Ravana.

"And to learn more about that story, we will have a puppet show here that tells the story for all ages," Israel said. "They'll get to learn about how the story originated, but also celebrating the culture, with the music, with different instruments."

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Then on Sunday families are invited back to the garden to celebrate Harvestfest to celebrate "everything fall."

"We're celebrating nature, we're celebrating abundance. We're celebrating family traditions," Israel said.

Harvestfest runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. with activities that include family story time, fall foods, ciders and more.

"We will have pumpkin painting... a photo booth, live music from a band called The Pollux," Israel said. "And we will end the day at two, from two to three we will have line dancing."

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Additionally, Dominion Energy Gardenfest of Lights returns to Lewis Ginter this Nov. 18 through Jan. 5, 2025.

Antoinette Essa will take part in the Second Baptist Church - West End and the Randolph Neighborhood Association’s 25th annual Black Love Community Festival sponsored by Dominion Energy this Saturday. The free festival features a vintage car show, health screenings and community programs, food, and family activities from 12 to 4 p.m. Second Baptist Church - West End at 1400 Idlewood Avenue.

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