Festival of Colors

Attending the Holi Festival in India has ALWAYS been very high on my bucket-list! Until I get there, this event made an absolutely terrific stand in! Oh, and it's only $5 to register in advance online, and you can pay at the door. Kids under 12 are free!This event blew our minds! We had the most unbelievable time EVER!!! Everyone was in such and incredible mood, moving freely to the amazing dj's and dancing along with the traditional Indian dancers who were giving instructions. It was one of the best festivals I've ever attended and this hippie mama has been to her fair share. There was yoga and bounce houses for the kiddos, trees to picnic under, free hugs and smiles given generously. It was just an all around amazing, positive time and vibrations of love were super high. The festival take place every year in the spring in the wide open park not far from the airport in Vegas. Just a heads up, there's a 7-11 right across the street to the entrance if you forget anything, like tons of water you'll need! The park is well maintained and really nice itself. Ducks in a beautiful fountain, picnic areas and ample free parking. No need to bring food, the festival has a bunch of vegan food trucks and they're pretty delish! Come dressed in white and expect to pull color from places you thought you've never have to. Even those who didn't want color got some, so really don't come if you're not willing to participate. Make sure you cover your expensive cameras and phones too. Shaking off the excess color before leaving the grounds certainly helps. Color packets are sold at the event so no need to worry about finding them. They're $3 per bag or four bags of assorted colors pre packed for $10 which is definitely the way to go. Bring cash! Outside colors are actually not allowed in as the color used here are all organic made from corn starch, permissible food grade dyes, & fragrance only. They are environmentally friendly, beautiful vibrant colors, and nicely scented too!There are "color throws" every hour on the hour starting at noon. In between there's a ton to keep you occupied. We actually stayed ALL day and everyone was having so much fun they extended the festival by an hour or so. We were very lucky to find that this festival coincided with our trip to this region, but let me tell you, I would not hesitate to go out of my way to attend again! It was an insanely unreal time!! Not sure who had more fun, the kids or me!

Lots of fun to be had at this festival. Do you like to hug? Do you like to dance? Do you like to do hip hop? Do you like to shop? This festival is for the whole family.

I'm amazed there are not more reviews for this. We went for the first time this year and had a blast. I've wanted to experience a Holi celebration for years and this was definitely a great treat. A few tips:- Oil up a little before you get doused with color. It comes off so easily afterward. (Unless you don't mind being stained for the week. Then by all means, don't worry about it ;) I used coconut oil and it worked beautifully. - Dust your shoes with a bit of baby powder. The color won't stick to them.- Bring a change of clothes. I brought towels and a change of clothes to keep my car from getting "colored." I wrapped all my colored clothes in the towels and tossed them when I got home.- The food is all vegan. Just a head's up for those of you who aren't big on that. Personally, I'm allergic to citrus that is usually used in Vegan foods but I still managed just fine. :)- No outside colors are allowed in. You can buy colors inside- I don't recall all the pricing but I went for the bag of 5 colors for $12. It was more than enough for all 3 of my family members to play with.- They sell bandanas at the shops. I love that their colors here are organic and non toxic, but I still bought a bandana to cover my son's mouth/nose during color-throws near the stage.- Color throws are on the hour and done by countdown. It's a blast! You definitely feel the love and get plastered in color. If you want to be covered, move toward the stage as the hour approaches. If you aren't keen on getting too-colored, or if you prefer to be away from the "cloud" then move back a bit.- There are 2 bounce houses for the kids- my son had a blast here! They were never crowded and all the kids were playing so nice. They are free too.- Parking is free and there is plenty of it. We arrived around 11:30, and had no problems finding a parking spot super close to the event. - There is not much signage to find the event but it is close to the lake and cannot be seen from the main roads. - Don't forget the sunscreen! My 4 year old thought this was the best event EVER. We ended up buying a little extra color to bring home and play with in the back yard. The next day we went to the Highland Games (Scottish Festival) and had a blast there too. This is seriously my favorite weekend in Vegas now!

This is such a fun Spring Event! Part of what I love about it is that it is small! Beautiful music and people and the food truck that attends is super yummy. We have been going for years!