Diwali in Palo Alto

Diwali, the festival of lights, is one of the most widely celebrated holidays in Palo Alto. Many families with roots in India, Nepal and the Indian diaspora mark it at home with lamps, sweets, new clothes and prayers. Around them a public calendar has grown up: a city celebration at Mitchell Park, Stanford student events with dance and dinner, community galas and big festivals in nearby cities. For newcomers and visitors it is an easy holiday to join, since most public events are free or inexpensive and open to everyone.

This guide lists celebrations as their organizers or local press have published them. Diwali moves with the lunar calendar, so dates change every year and many events are announced only a few weeks ahead. Where we could not confirm a 2026 date, we say so. For the wider season, see our holiday season guide and the November guide.

When is Diwali?

Diwali falls on the new moon in the Hindu month of Kartik, which lands in October or November. On most calendars used in the United States, the main day of Diwali in 2026, Lakshmi Puja, is Sunday, November 8. The festival runs five days around it, from Dhanteras to Bhai Dooj. Some families and temples follow regional calendars that differ by a day.

Community events rarely land on the exact date. Organizers book halls for the nearest weekends, so celebrations can start a few weeks before Diwali and run a week or two after. In 2024, for example, Palo Alto's city celebration took place about a week and a half after Diwali, according to the Paly Voice student newspaper. In 2025, when Diwali fell in late October, Bay Area events were spread across most of the month.

The city's Festival of Lights

Palo Alto has held a public Diwali celebration since 2017. It is organized by Mitchell Park Library under the city's Celebrating Cultures initiative and takes place on a weekend afternoon at the Mitchell Park Community Center, 3700 Middlefield Road. The Paly Voice described the 2024 event in detail:

• Kathak and other classical dance performances in the El Palo Alto Room, coordinated with local dance schools.
• Rangoli designs drawn in chalk on the floor.
• Free henna from a local artist.
• Lantern making and clay diyas that children decorate.
• Music, craft tables and plenty of families in festive clothes.

The event is free and open to all ages. The 2026 date had not been posted when we checked in late October. Watch the library's events calendar from mid-October and look for posters in the branches. Our libraries guide covers the Mitchell Park branch and our library card guide explains how to sign up for event newsletters.

Diwali at Stanford

Stanford's South Asian and Hindu student groups put on some of the largest Diwali events on the Peninsula. Formats change with each year's student organizers, but recent celebrations give a good idea of what to expect.

The Stanford Daily has described an evening run by the Stanford Hindu Students Association that began at 5 p.m. in Memorial Church with student performers and prayer chanting. It moved to White Plaza around 7 p.m. for a free Indian dinner and performances by other student groups, including the a cappella group Stanford Raagapella. It ended with a DJ and dancing in the Old Union ballroom. More than 500 people attended. Our guide to Tresidder Union and Old Union shows where these buildings are.

In 2025, KQED's Bay Area Diwali roundup listed a student-organized DiwaliFest on campus on Saturday, October 18, with $10 general admission. Watch Stanford's events calendar and student group pages in October. Note that Memorial Church was closed to visitors for maintenance from June 15 to October 31, 2026, so 2026 plans may differ from past years.

Community galas and gatherings

Palo Alto's Indian American community also organizes its own ticketed events. The Stanford Daily reported on a Diwali gala hosted by the group PA-Desi with the India Community Center that drew 550 people for a sit-down dinner, dances by local residents, speakers and a Bollywood dance floor. The year before, the same organizers held a sold-out talent show and dinner for 250 people at the Mitchell Park Community Center. These events sell tickets in advance and often sell out, so follow the organizers' announcements early in the fall.

Many families also celebrate with their neighbors. Expect diyas on doorsteps, string lights on balconies and plates of sweets traded between houses in neighborhoods across town.

We also looked for 2026 programs at Hindu temples near Palo Alto. The larger temples in the South Bay and East Bay hold pujas and cultural programs for Diwali. The Fremont Hindu Temple (Vedic Dharma Samaj) at 3676 Delaware Drive lists Deepawali and Lakshmi Puja on Sunday, November 8, 2026. We could not load its schedule ourselves in early November, so call ahead before you drive over. Our Hindu temples guide has its regular hours and other temples near Palo Alto. Crowds on the main evening can be very large.

Festivals in nearby cities

Several South Bay cities run larger public festivals. These are the 2025 events KQED listed. Dates for 2026 will be later in the fall, since Diwali itself is later.

The Sunnyvale Public Library has also hosted a free community Diwali celebration, first held in 2019 at the Sunnyvale Community Center with dance, Carnatic music, diya painting and henna. Libraries across the region now run similar events, so check your local branch.

Sweets, food and a meal out

Food is central to Diwali. Families buy boxes of mithai such as ladoo, barfi and kaju katli to share. They also prepare savory snacks for visitors. Indian grocery stores and sweet shops around the region get very busy in the week before the main day, so order sweets in advance.

Some restaurants put on special menus. In 2025, Ettan on Bryant Street, which is listed in the Michelin Guide, served a Diwali brunch on October 18 and 19 at $75 per person for the vegetarian menu, $85 for the non-vegetarian menu and $45 for children ages 5 to 10. Check restaurant sites in October for 2026 menus. Our Indian food guide lists restaurants in and near Palo Alto.

Planning a Diwali visit

If you are visiting family for Diwali, the weekend nearest the main day is the busiest for both events and restaurants. Book dinners and any ticketed galas as soon as they are announced. Hotel rooms in early November are usually easier to find than during the summer, though Stanford football weekends can fill rooms near campus. You can compare Palo Alto hotels for your dates. Combine a Diwali weekend with a walk at the Baylands or an evening downtown, where holiday decorations start to go up later in November.

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