Festival of Joy Celebrating Fourth Year at Klyde Warren Park
Festival of Joy, a celebration of Indian culture with music, dance, a vegetarian feast, interactive holistic living and other activities returns to Klyde Warren Park for its fourth year April 15.
The Dallas festival begins at 11 a.m. with a welcome ceremony at the park, followed by a parade at noon through the Dallas Arts District, returning to the park at 1:30 p.m. As part of the parade, hundreds of festivalgoers will pull a colorful chariot carrying the deities of Jagannatha, Balarama, and Subhadra along Flora Street. For more information, visit the event page here.
After the procession ends at the park, guests can enjoy a free vegetarian feast and visit cultural and educational exhibits. The main stage will feature kirtan (musical mantra meditation) and bharat-natyam (classical Indian dance). This year’s performers will include Manipuri dancer Rinku Das and Odissi dancer Krishnaveni Putrevu. Throughout the day, Kalachandji’s will operate several stalls selling regional Indian street food favorites. Other stalls will present Ayurveda, yoga, crafts, vegetarian cooking demos, ask-a-monk, tie-a-sari, face painting, and more.
“We’re making this now a citywide tradition. We’re working with Klyde Warren [Park] to lock in the weekend after Easter every year,” said Park Cities resident Atul Vohra, who’s spearheaded the event with his wife, Ritika. “Our vision has been that this is about art, it’s about culture, it’s about bringing East and West together.”
Last year, they introduced Kalachandji Konnect, an opportunity to continue some of the festival experiences throughout the year at Kalachandji’s, which hosts cooking, yoga, and meditation classes, and Atul said they hope to continue developing connections made through the festival.
“Growth in numbers attending is very nice, but the real payoff is the continued connection,” Atul said.
“We look forward to a bigger and bolder Festival of Joy, with expanded programming and interactive activities for visitors of all ages to enjoy,” said Nityananda Dasa, president of the Texas Krishnas. “The energy and joy felt by the thousands who attend reminds us that there is hope in the world and that the consciousness within can spread to inspire others. We hope people of all backgrounds will come and experience this special celebration of spiritual culture.”
“Dallas is a diverse city of the future, and the Festival of Joy is one of the best examples of varied cultures coming together to spread harmony and happiness. I am excited and looking forward to being back at Klyde Warren Park to fest with fellow Dallasites,” said Dallas City Council Member Paul Ridley, who represents Klyde Warren Park and the Dallas Arts District.
The Festival of Joy – also known as Ratha Yatra or the Festival of Chariots – has its roots in ancient India and the bhakti tradition. It is celebrated in major city centers around the world, including New York City’s Fifth Avenue and London’s Piccadilly Circus. It has been observed annually for more than 3,000 years in the holy city of Jagannatha Puri in Orissa, India, making it the oldest street festival in the world.
