Non Stop Bhangra Holi Festival of Colors
1255 7th St, Oakland
March 15, 2025
“Come dressed in white, we will provide the color.”
Twenty one years into their tenure as a Bay Area dance party to get down at, Non Stop Bhangra shows no signs of slowing down, let alone stopping. Their events may skew younger each year, but the crowds have remained large and primed to boogie, as witnessed last weekend at their annual Holi color toss at 7th West in West Oakland.
Dressed primarily in the requested non-color, a line of ticketed attendees snaked around the corner, and a second formed for those anxious to score a coveted code to enter; the event was sold out, expected to be filled to the gills. Luckily for a few of those hopefuls, several of my anticipated companions had chosen to forgo the fun, so in short order new friends were made: two women who met through Non Stop Bhangra events 18 years ago. They keep coming back to dance, of course, but also for the community, the energy, the music. The dhol drums and intricate dancing breathe life into attendees, seem to snare them indefinitely.
As the yard filled up—rapidly and veritably—drumming began and words of introduction were shared. Then, on to the dancing.
As a boisterous crowd heavily weighted towards the kiddos, visibility and spatial awareness were not at the forefront, but good spirits, as belied by big smiles and mimicked dance moves, were on full display. As the dance performance drew to a close we were invited to join in the dancing—and notified that the color stations would be open shortly. Things were about to get messy.
DJs spun a mix of Bhangra beats and local hyphy classics—with a dose of everyone’s favorite nepo-dudes to keep the party rock going, and with the help of some brightly hued powders, the fest was truly on. A celebration of spring, the brilliant color toss invites everyone’s playful side out, a yearning for the joy and carelessness of youth evident in each adult grin. Strangers shared and powder-fought in equal measure, with laughter and shrieks of pleasure audible even over the thumping speakers.
Protective gear: a very good call.
A handful of smart, prepared souls came armed, with ziplocks for phones, bandanas or face masks, and protective eye gear not essential for visibility. We left with phone ports crusted (Reddit pro tip: compressed air), glasses obscured, camera an entirely new color, and deeply stained mucus—not to mention a month’s worth of dust for my apartment floors. We also walked away, dusting the sidewalk in brilliance as the sun set, with young BART-bound families in tow, ready to share that color with the drab floors of our transit.
From head to toe, don’t forget the feet!
