Harvest Festivals of South Asia

January 10, 2026, 11AM-2PM | Berkeley, CA

Celebrating Pongal, Sankranti, Lohiri, Uttarayan, and more!

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Join us for an afternoon of fun and learning

Throughout South Asia, January is filled with festivites to mark the harvest of winter crops like, rice, dal (lentils), and sugarcane. We welcome kids, families, and curious adults of all ages and backgrounds.

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Arts & Crafts: Make Rangoli with ground rice to celebrate Pongal (South India & Sri Lanka), and make origami kites to celebrate Uttarayan (Gujarat/Rajasthan)

Games, Chatting, & Eating: Play Lagori, warm up by a fire, and eat garam garam samosa to celebrate Lohiri (Punjab)

Cooking: Make Ellu Bella (Andhra/Karnatka) or Til Gul (Maharashtra/Nepal), a tasty dry mixture that uses harvest crops like sesame and jaggery to symbolize sweet relations between all members of a community

Plant your own seed: Ramadan is around the corner in February! To welcome this beautiful period of reflection, plant a seed in a pot to take home, and write the good intentions you are planting with it to bloom in the spring.

Action: Learn about the real struggles that farmers in South Asia, and California, face as they work hard to create our food. Discover ways to support and take action (for all ages!)

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Where to Find Us

This event is located near Willard Park in Berkeley, CA. We will provide the exact address after registration.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Still have questions? Feel free to reach out to us at info@the-banyan-tree.org

  • Absolutely! We are putting on this event to share how we celebrate, and also to bring our community and kids together in learning about the experiences of farmworkers in South Asia and California. You will meet people who grew up celebrating these holidays at each station.

  • Of course! We just ask that you bring along a South Asian friend or family member so you know who to call aunty, and who to call didi/akka. :)

  • Please email us! we would love to connect. You can also:

    • Join our Root to Rise program (K-7th grade) or Seed Fellowship program (8th-12th grade) or join us as a college counselor

    • Sign up for a summer program (we have programs for kids and adults too!)

    • Email us to volunteer

  • We are entirely funded by community donations, and tuition for our programs at this time. We are motivated to stay connected to the community we serve, and our funders reflect that.

  • You can stop by anytime you like between 11AM and 2PM on January 10.