South Street Seaport Museum to Present Diwali Celebration At The Seaport Museum

South Street Seaport Museum will present a Diwali Celebration at the Seaport Museum on Monday, October 20, 2025 from 3-6pm.

Join the Seaport Museum and The Culture Tree for festive activities to mark Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights. Diwali, named for the row (avali) of clay lamps (deepa) that light up homes to symbolize the inner light that protects from spiritual darkness, also marks the start of the Hindu New Year.  Tickets are free and can be reserved at seaportmuseum.org/diwali.

From 3pm to 6pm, decorate your own "diya lamp"-or in this case, a candle-on the cobblestones of Water Street outside of the Museum and float it in a special pool, symbolizing prosperity for the new year.

At 4pm, audience members will head into the Museum's first-floor Maritime City exhibition gallery for Diwali Puppet Storytime, where they will explore the significance and origins of Diwali and how it's celebrated worldwide. We'll also read stories like A Kids Book About Diwali, perfect for children and families.

Following Storytime, at 5pm, the audience will jump into an interactive dance workshop and performance in which they will experience and dance to popular Diwali songs, music, and stories. Attendees will learn mudras (hand gestures) from classical dance forms and dance to beautiful Diwali songs.

In addition to these exciting, all-ages activities, enjoy free access to the Seaport Museum's Maritime City exhibition and explore the unique letterpress printshop Bowne & Co., Stationers, which will even have something special to print using the Museum's 19th century printing press!

About The Culture Tree

The Culture Tree promotes cultural literacy about South Asia through language and educational and cultural programs. The Culture Tree's goal is to create empathy, respect and understanding towards all different cultures and further inclusivity, while still helping address questions about identity with heritage cultures. theculturetree.com

A Brief Explanation of Diwali

Diwali is a Hindu festival of lights, held in the period October to November. The name is derived from the Sanskrit term dipavali, meaning "row of lights." The festival generally symbolizes the victory of light over darkness.