A kaleidoscope of colors filled the air Saturday at Naperville’s Rotary Hill during the celebration of Holi, the traditional Indian Festival of Colors. This annual event invites participants to throw powdered pigment into the air.
“Who doesn’t like getting messy?” said Steven Tran. “It seems like a fun environment. And just loving, enjoying time with my girlfriend’s family.”
Celebrating spring
With it, they also throw caution to the wind as they celebrate the passing of winter and the arrival of spring.
“It’s like for one day people come, and then they forget about all the like daily life stress and worries,” said Sarita Sharma, Secretary of Operations for Simply Vedic.
The celebration also included live music, dancing, and Indian cuisine.
“I love having fun with a bunch of people,” said participant Maanav Dave. “This is an awesome time for me to have fun.”
An annual affair
The nonprofit Simply Vedic first brought this festival to Naperville 15 years ago.
“We see people around like how much good time they’re having, so we thought, okay, okay, let’s just keep going,” said Sharma.
While rooted in Indian culture, organizers say its popularity over the years brings people of all walks of life together.
“No matter where we are coming from, we all are human,” said Sharma. “So we celebrate each other.”
“Having experienced this for the first time with friends, it’s like, ‘wow’ for me!” said participant Lina Gomez.
Holi, the Festival of Colors, shrouds participants in every hue of happiness.
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