Festival of Colors returns to Ogden this weekend
Photo supplied
In this undated photo, celebrants enjoy a previous Holi Festival of Colors event in Ogden. The seventh annual Festival of Colors in Ogden is set for this Saturday, May 13, 2023.OGDEN — There’s a colorful weekend ahead.
Saturday will mark the seventh celebration of Ogden’s Holi Festival of Colors, to be held at West Stadium Park from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Organizer Charu Das told the Standard-Examiner that the festival is ultimately a celebration of the life that spring brings.
“We took what is essentially an ethnic seasonal event and we broadened the scope of it to celebrate life,” he said. “Spring is a time of renewal, it’s a time of rebirth. The colors represent all the different flowers that burst forth after the starkness and barrenness of winter. When the temperatures rise and the spring rains come, you see all this rebirth and new life.”
He said there will be several themes spread throughout the festival.
“We have color throws at the top of every hour and we build them up,” he said. “We make each throw a theme — like throwing off the old, accepting the new, burying the hatchet, forgiving offenses and getting rid of excess baggage on the journey of life.”
According to a press release, the event will include mantra music, bhakti dance, yoga, vegetarian-only cuisine, crafts and activities for kids.
“This year’s performance lineup includes DJ Crisanto Santa Ana, the Namrock Band and the Butter Thieves,” the release said. “Interactive dance comes to the stage from Bollypop Utah, Bolly X Fitness, and Malini Taneja. All of the above will lead the crowds in high-energy, interactive and joyful dance.”
Das said after a break during the COVID-19 pandemic, the festival returned last year to large crowds.
“It was a very robust attendance,” he said. “We probably had 1,500 people for the afternoon. It was a great success and didn’t seem to have lost anything from the missing COVID years. Weather permitting, we expect 1,000-plus people this coming Saturday. We like the Ogden people because they like to come out, they like to celebrate, they welcome us up from Spanish Fork and give us a good Ogden welcome.”
He added the festival is open to everybody.
“We’re all spirits, we’re all children of God, we’re all family, so let’s celebrate as one big family,” he said.
For more information on the festival and to buy tickets ahead of time, visit https://www.festivalofcolorsusa.com/.