The Reading Bug sits at 785 Laurel Street. Kathakaars School of Dance teaches its San Carlos Kathak classes there. This Saturday, November 14, students from that school will perform on the same block where they take class. They're part of the lineup for the city's first Diwali Downtown, which runs from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the 700 block of Laurel Street.
The Kathakaars students aren't the only nearby name on the program. The sponsor runs a shop one block south. One of the dance groups carries the city's name. The henna artist is listed as local. Most of this first edition's program comes from people who already work on or near Laurel.
Who's on the program, and how close to home they are
The City of San Carlos Diwali Downtown page lists performances, music, crafts, and "tasty bites from local chefs." Here's the lineup, with each name's local connection where one is on record:
- Kathakaars School of Dance students. The school holds its San Carlos Kathak classes at The Reading Bug, 785 Laurel Street, on the event block itself.
- San Carlos Sitaras. The Community Foundation of San Carlos describes the Sitaras as a local Bollywood group of children and adults from the community.
- Twisha's Twirlers and The Koothadis, both listed as performers.
- Swati Shah, whom the city calls a local artist. She's doing complimentary henna.
- Sonali Patodia, an author leading a storytime. A local bookstore lists her book You're Truly One of a Kind.
The city hasn't published a timed schedule, so if you're aiming for a particular group, plan to come early and stay a while. The event is three hours long. The block is short enough that you can hear the stage from the henna table. Questions go to the city's Special Events division at [email protected]. The city also has a volunteer sign-up for anyone who wants to help with the first year.
The sponsor is a shop at 653 Laurel
The city's page ends with one line of thanks: "Thank you to Muditā for supporting this event!" Muditā is a gallery and shop for Indian art and home decor at 653 Laurel Street, one block south of the event.
The San Mateo Daily Journal covered the shop before its official opening weekend of Sept. 12–13. The paper reported that owner Nidhi Patel, a San Carlos resident, couldn't find a storefront anywhere on the Peninsula selling authentic art and crafts made in India, and she took the 653 Laurel space when it opened up. According to the paper, nearly everything in the shop comes directly from artisans in India. Patel described who she's aiming at this way:
"This is not just meant for the Indian community, this is my way of showcasing Indian history to the world."
The same article explains the name. Muditā is a Sanskrit word for the joy a person feels at someone else's prosperity and achievement. That's a fitting name for a business sponsoring a free street celebration a block from its own door. If you've walked past 653 Laurel and noticed the plants out front, the Daily Journal says that entry garden is intentional. Patel modeled it on the entryways of older Indian homes.
Why the street party comes six days after Diwali
Diwali fell on Sunday, November 8, this year, according to the Drik Panchang calendar set for San Carlos. Nearby cities scheduled their public celebrations around that weekend or before it:
- October 24, Redwood City. The city calendar listed an all-ages Diwali Celebration and Bollywood Dance Workshop at the Downtown Library, 1044 Middlefield Road, sponsored by Friends of the Redwood City Public Library.
- November 7, Belmont. A free Diwali Celebration with the Belmont Library, 1 to 4 p.m. at Twin Pines Senior & Community Center.
- November 7, Foster City. The Daily Journal reported that BayBasi, a Bengali and Indian cultural nonprofit, planned a celebration from 2 to 8 p.m. at Foster City Community Center, with a diya-lighting ceremony and food for purchase.
- November 14, San Carlos. Diwali Downtown on the 700 block of Laurel Street.
Neighboring cities held theirs in a library and community centers, on or before the holiday weekend. San Carlos is holding its version outdoors on the main shopping street, the Saturday after. So if Belmont or Foster City was your stop last weekend, you can still make Laurel this weekend. And if you missed both, San Carlos's late date gives you a second chance.
The rest of the week leads up to Saturday
Diwali Downtown is the last of a run of San Carlos events the city lists on the same page. Last week, the Youth Center hosted a drop-in Diwali garland craft on Thursday, November 5, and the Adult Community Center held its own celebration on Friday, November 6. Two more come before the street event, both at the San Carlos Library:
- Today, Thursday, November 12, 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.: Storytime & Drawing Demo With Nidhi Chanani, for children and families. The library tags it for ages 0–5 and 6–11.
- Friday, November 13, 1 to 2:30 p.m.: Painting Diwali Diyas, tagged for adults 19+ and 55+. Registration is required.
Put those together and a family could do the library storytime Thursday afternoon, and an adult could paint a diya Friday afternoon. Everyone could end up on Laurel for henna and dancing Saturday at lunchtime. All of it happens within a short walk of downtown.
The same block hosts Night of Holiday Lights on December 4
Laurel's next big date comes three weeks later. The city's downtown revitalization page says Harrington Park is fenced off for construction, with completion expected in early 2027.
Night of Holiday Lights is Friday, December 4, from 5 to 8:30 p.m. It runs on Laurel Street from San Carlos Avenue to Cherry Street, with the main stage on Cherry Street. If you noticed the two downtown revitalization information boards the city put up on the 700 block in late September, look for them Saturday. One is near Diddams in a raised planter, and the other is near U.S. Bank. Diwali Downtown takes place right between them.
In its first year, Diwali Downtown is a short program: three hours on one block, with performers, a sponsor and a henna artist drawn from the neighborhood. Saturday's lineup is set: Kathakaars students, San Carlos Sitaras, Twisha's Twirlers and The Koothadis, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the 700 block of Laurel.
I've lived in San Carlos long enough to watch Laurel Street change many times, and a new tradition starting on the block is always worth showing up for. If you're downtown Saturday and want to talk about what the Harrington Park work and the coming street projects mean for the blocks around Laurel, Call Bob. You can find me at Bob Bredel - Main Site.
