USA community guide

Desi Happenings

A weekly roundup of Indian and Desi events across major U.S. cities, with student opportunities, useful online programs and DFW picks from our home base.

This week across the U.S. & online Festivals, arts, career events, student programs and community-helpful webinars. Static snapshot · Research sweep completed September 17, 2026
No matching listings found. Try a broader city, month or topic — for example “Texas”, “October”, “music” or “AI”.

Dallas–Fort Worth this weekend

Four confirmed ways to celebrate, gather and listen in our home-base community this weekend.

Sep 18–20
SEP18

Atul Purohit Garba

7:00 PMFrisco Flyers Event CenterFrisco TX · from $35

Event tickets
SEP19

Shreya Ghoshal: The Unstoppable Tour

6:00 PMTexas Trust CU TheatreGrand Prairie TX

Event tickets
SEP19

Ayyappa Pooja

See temple calendar for timeDFW Hindu Temple Society1605 N Britain Rd, Irving TX · Free (temple event)Monthly Ayyappa pooja at the templeEvent page verified live Sep 17

Temple calendar

Coming up in Dallas–Fort Worth

Home-base picks for North Texas. Mark the calendar now; verify with the organizer before you go.

Sep 25 – Oct 24
September
Sep 25 · 8 PM

Kinjal Dave – Live In Dallas Garba Mahotsav 2026

Frisco FlyersFrisco TX · $30Event page verified live Sep 17
Event details
Sep 25 · 8 PM

Purva Mantri Live – Garba Night 2026

Frisco Flyers Volleyball ClubFrisco TX · $10Event page verified live Sep 17
Event details
Sep 26 · 6:00 PM

Howdy Comedy Festival

Frisco Performing Arts CenterFrisco TX
Organizer details
Sep 26 · 7:00 PM

Parth Oza Raas-Garba

Mar Thoma Event CenterDallas TX · from $20
Event tickets
Sep 26 · temple-calendar time

Sundarkand Paath

DFW Hindu Temple SocietyIrving TX · FreeEvent page verified live Sep 17
Temple calendar
Sep 27 · 7:00 PM

Kirtidan Gadhvi Live Dayro

SLPS Community CenterIrving TX · from $20
Event tickets
October
Oct 2 · 7:00 PM

Falguni Pathak Live — Dandiya Dhoom 2026

Frisco FlyersFrisco TX · from $35
Event tickets
Oct 3 · 7:00 PM

Navratri Raas Garba with Sunny Jadhav

Frisco Flyers Event CenterFrisco TX · DFW Gujarati Samaj
Organizer details
Oct 4 · 6:00 PM

Jigardan Gadhvi Navratri

Frisco FlyersFrisco TX · from $30
Event tickets
Oct 10 · 5 PM

Mata Ki Chowki

Main TempleIrving TX · FreeEvent page verified live Sep 17
Temple event details
Oct 11 · 3–7 PM

Diwali Mela at Assembly Park

Assembly ParkPlano TX · FREE with RSVPIndexed listing Sep 17 · confirm before going
Event listing
Oct 16 · 8:30 PM

Rahat Fateh Ali Khan Live

Comerica CenterFrisco TX · from $47
Event tickets
Oct 16 · 7:00 PM

Akriti Kakar & Band Live

Mar Thoma Event CenterDallas TX
Event tickets
Oct 17 · 7 PM

Desi Comedy Fest

Punch Line Comedy ClubIrving TX · Ticketmaster pricingEvent page verified live Sep 17
Tour details
Oct 23 · time TBA, check listing

Kanan Gill: Not This Again

Eisemann CenterRichardson TXEvent page verified live Sep 17
Event listing
Oct 23 · 8:00 PM

Rangtaali Finale — Aishwarya Majmudar

Frisco Flyers Event CenterFrisco TX · from $20
Event tickets
Oct 24 · 12:00–10:00 PM

Dallas Festival of Lights / Diwali Mela

Myers Park & Event Center7117 County Road 166, McKinney TX 75071 · $8 early bird / $10 GA; kids under 10 free
Organizer details

Indian movies worth your weekend

Only the good ones — verified scores, no filler. In US theaters now or days away. Watched one? Tell us your rating.

Sep 23 picks
In theaters

Daayra (Hindi)

Meghna Gulzar's tense cop drama — Kareena Kapoor & Prithviraj Sukumaran on opposite sides of a fake-encounter case. Moral grey, zero easy answers. IMDb ~7.2 · critics 3–4/5Scores verified Sep 23
Reviews on Fandango
Premieres Sep 24

The Paradise (Telugu)

Nani reunites with his Dasara director for a 1980s Secunderabad underdog saga. $250K+ in US pre-sales — the month's biggest buzz.Release date verified Sep 23
Out Oct 2

Drishyam 3 (Hindi)

The Salgaonkars are back — Ajay Devgn vs Tabu, one more cover-up. The franchise that never misses.Release date verified Sep 23

Indian & Desi events across the USA

Sourced cultural, community and professional gatherings from coast to coast.

66 picks · nationwide

This week's additions: Falguni Pathak's Dandiya Dhoom tour stops (Hartford, Chicago, Houston, Bay Area, Denver), Rahat Fateh Ali Khan tour dates (Chicago, Hollywood), Akaash Singh and Kanan Gill comedy tour stops, and Diwali melas from Secaucus to Bothell — surfaced across event platforms, organizer calendars and local media.

Source note: "Verified live" means the event page opened and was read (Sep 12 batch or Sep 17 batch). "Indexed listing" means the dated listing appeared in search results but its page was not opened live; confirm details with the organizer before booking.

September · nationwide
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Ganesh Chaturthi Celebration

Hindu Temple Society of New MexicoAlbuquerque NM
Temple event details

Shreya Ghoshal

Smart Financial Centre at Sugar LandSugar Land TX · Houston metro · Bollywood playback star’s U.S. tourTicketmaster listing verified Sep 12
Event tickets
Sep 18

Navratri Mahotsav with Geeta Rabari

Secaucus NJGarba celebration with Geeta RabariEvent page verified live Sep 17
Event details
Sep 18

Falguni Pathak — Dandiya Dhoom 2026

Hartford CTFalguni Pathak tour stopEvent page verified live Sep 17
Event details
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Tyagaraja Utsavam Fall Festival

Chicago areaTwo days of South Indian classical music
Festival details

Sonu Nigam — Revolution Tour

accesso ShoWare CenterKent WA · Seattle metro · playback legend’s Revolution TourTicketmaster listing verified Sep 12
Event tickets

Navratri Mahotsav with Kinjal Dave

Meadowlands Exposition Center355 Plaza Dr, Secaucus NJ · NYC metroIndexed listing Sep 12 · confirm final details
Tour listing

Shreya Ghoshal: The Unstoppable Tour

H-E-B Center at Cedar ParkCedar Park TX · Austin / Central Texas · Bollywood playback star’s U.S. tourTicketmaster listing verified Sep 12
Event tickets

Shreya Ghoshal: The Unstoppable Tour

Angel Of The Winds ArenaEverett WA · Seattle metro · Bollywood playback star’s U.S. tourTicketmaster listing verified Sep 12
Event tickets

Sonu Nigam — Revolution Tour

Fort Bend County EpicenterRosenberg TX · Houston metro · playback legend’s Revolution TourTicketmaster listing verified Sep 12
Event tickets

Sonu Nigam — Revolution Tour

Credit Union of Texas Event CenterAllen TX · DFW · playback legend’s Revolution TourTicketmaster listing verified Sep 12
Event tickets

Shreya Ghoshal — Unstoppable Tour

Oakland ArenaOakland CA · Bay Area · Bollywood playback star’s U.S. tourTicketmaster listing verified Sep 12
Event tickets

Garba Dhamal with Bharti Desai

Shree Swaminarayan Gadi Temple MidwestStreamwood IL · all ages; children under 12 freeIndexed listing Sep 12 · confirm final details
Event listing
Sep 26 · Oct 10 & 17

San Diego Navratri Nights

Convention Center + Alliant International UniversitySan Diego CA
Navratri dates & venues
Sep 26

Falguni Pathak — Dandiya Dhoom 2026

Schaumburg ILChicago-area tour stopEvent page verified live Sep 17
Event details

Sonu Nigam: Revolution

EagleBank ArenaFairfax VA · Washington, D.C. metro · playback legend’s Revolution TourTicketmaster listing verified Sep 12
Event tickets

Shreya Ghoshal

Shrine AuditoriumLos Angeles CA · Bollywood playback star’s U.S. tourTicketmaster listing verified Sep 12
Event tickets
Sep 27

Falguni Pathak — Dandiya Dhoom 2026

Houston TXHouston tour stopEvent page verified live Sep 17
Event details
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Indiaspora–IPA Philanthropy Summit

Dallas TXCommunity philanthropy and social-impact gathering
Summit details
October · nationwide

Rahat Fateh Ali Khan

Agganis ArenaBoston MA · Qawwali maestro liveTicketmaster listing verified Sep 12
Event tickets

Kanan Gill: Not This Again

Capital One HallTysons VA · Washington, D.C. metro · stand-up comedy tourTicketmaster listing verified Sep 12
Event tickets

Virginia Garba with Geeta Rabari

The St. James6805 Industrial Rd, Springfield VA · $30–$60Indexed listing Sep 12 · confirm final details
Sulekha event listing

Kinjal Dave Open Air Garba & Dandiya

Kathleen MacDonald High SchoolSan Jose CA · all agesIndexed listing Sep 12 · confirm final details
Event listing

Rahat Fateh Ali Khan

Nassau Veterans Memorial ColiseumUniondale NY · NYC metro · Qawwali maestro liveTicketmaster listing verified Sep 12
Event tickets

Kanan Gill: Not This Again

Town HallNew York NY · stand-up comedy tourTicketmaster listing verified Sep 12
Event tickets
Oct 3

Falguni Pathak — Dandiya Dhoom 2026

Santa Clara CABay Area tour stopEvent page verified live Sep 17
Event details
Oct 3

Garba Night

HTSA HoustonCommunity Garba nightIndexed listing Sep 17 · confirm final details
Event listing

Rahat Fateh Ali Khan

The Theater at MGM National HarborNational Harbor MD · Washington, D.C. metro · Qawwali maestro liveTicketmaster listing verified Sep 12
Event tickets

Kanan Gill: Not This Again

The WilburBoston MA · stand-up comedy tourTicketmaster listing verified Sep 12
Event tickets

Sparkle & Glow Diwali Festival

Don Callejon SchoolSanta Clara CA · food and retail booths, dance, kids’ activities, fashion show and concertIndexed listing Sep 12 · confirm final details
Bay Area event listing
Oct 4

Falguni Pathak — Dandiya Dhoom 2026

Castle Rock CODenver-area tour stopIndexed listing Sep 17 · confirm final details
Event listing
Oct 4

16th Annual Diwali Mela

Secaucus NJFestival of Lights celebrationIndexed listing Sep 17 · confirm final details
Event listing
Oct 9

Akaash Singh: Generational Triumph Tour

State Theatre New JerseyNew Brunswick NJ · stand-up comedyEvent page verified live Sep 17
Event details

Dandiya Dance & Mela

Forsyth Conference CenterCumming GA · live band, food, shopping and family festivitiesIndexed listing Sep 12 · confirm final details
Organizer listing

12th Annual Lotus Festival

Gillette StadiumFoxborough MA · gala supporting rural-India philanthropyIndexed listing Sep 12 · confirm final details
Festival listing

Gujarati Samaj Chicago Navratri Garba & Raas

Fountain View Recreation CenterCarol Stream ILIndexed listing Sep 12 · confirm final details
Organizer listing

Rahat Fateh Ali Khan

CURE Insurance ArenaTrenton NJ · NYC / Philadelphia corridor · Qawwali maestro liveTicketmaster listing verified Sep 12
Event tickets

Kanan Gill: Not This Again

Center Stage TheaterAtlanta GA · stand-up comedy tourTicketmaster listing verified Sep 12
Event tickets
Oct 10

Care for Children — Art of Living Garba

Milpitas CABay Area Garba supporting free schoolsEvent page verified live Sep 17
Event details

Schaumburg Garba Festival — 8 Nights

Haridham Chicago – YDS Temple540 Martingale Rd, Schaumburg IL · free; RSVP required; food and parking availableEvent page verified live Sep 12
Reserve a night
Oct 16–17

Akaash Singh: Generational Triumph Tour

Boston MATwo-night stand-up comedy stopTicketmaster listing verified Sep 17
Event tickets

Navaratri Miami

Wynwood Marketplace2129 NW 1st Ct, Miami FL · Garba, Raas, Dandiya, food village and market; kids 12 and under freeEvent page verified live Sep 12
Miami event details
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7th Annual Dandia Nights

Levittown Hall201 Levittown Pkwy, Hicksville NY · Garba/Dandiya Oct 17; Bollywood/Bhangra Oct 18; all ages; under 5 freeEvent page verified live Sep 12
Long Island event details

Festival of Lights & Fireworks

Alameda County FairgroundsPleasanton CA · dances, vendors, children’s rides and fireworks finaleIndexed listing Sep 12 · confirm final details
Event listing

The Voice of Peace — Rahat Fateh Ali Khan

Reliant ArenaHouston TX · Qawwali maestro liveTicketmaster listing verified Sep 12
Event tickets
Oct 17

Dandiya Live & Diwali Expo

Libertyville ILDandiya and Diwali expoIndexed listing Sep 17 · confirm final details
Event listing
Oct 17

CRY San Diego Dandiya 2026

San Diego CADandiya supporting CRYEvent page verified live Sep 17
Event details

Rahat Fateh Ali Khan

H-E-B Center at Cedar ParkCedar Park TX · Austin / Central Texas · Qawwali maestro liveTicketmaster listing verified Sep 12
Event tickets

Diwali on the Hudson

HK HallHell’s Kitchen, New York NY · Desai Foundation fundraiser with food, dancing and entertainmentIndexed listing Sep 12 · confirm final details
Event listing

Sunset Disco Dandiya

San Francisco City HallSan Francisco CA · family-friendly multi-room event with DJs and beginner workshopIndexed listing Sep 12 · confirm final details
Event listing

FOG Diwali

Washington High School groundsFremont CA · kids’ Ramayana activities, parade, puja mandaps and dance competitionIndexed listing Sep 12 · confirm final details
Festival report

Chand Churiyan aur Saheli

The Grand Banquet HallBothell WA · women’s festive evening with DJ, dinner, mehndi, shopping, games and prizesIndexed listing Sep 12 · confirm final details; early bird listed at $25
Event listing

Raas Garba Ramzat with Parth Oza

The St. James6805 Industrial Rd, Springfield VA · $30–$60Indexed listing Sep 12 · confirm final details
Tour listing
Oct 24

Rahat Fateh Ali Khan

Hoffman Estates ILChicago-area tour stopTicketmaster listing verified Sep 17
Event tickets
Oct 24

Kanan Gill: Not This Again

San Jose CAStand-up comedy tourTicketmaster listing verified Sep 17
Event tickets
Oct 24

GCA Bay Area Ras Garba

Fremont CABay Area Ras GarbaEvent page verified live Sep 17
Event details
Oct 24

Garba & Dandiya Night

Arcadia CADinner, live entertainment and glow nightEvent page verified live Sep 17
Event details
Oct 24

Diwali Mela

Bothell WASeattle-area Diwali celebrationIndexed listing Sep 17 · confirm final details
Event listing
Oct 25

Grand Diwali Mela

Edison NJCommunity Diwali celebrationEvent page verified live Sep 17
Event details
Oct 25

Rahat Fateh Ali Khan Live

Hollywood CALos Angeles-area tour stopTicketmaster listing verified Sep 17
Event tickets
Oct 25

Kanan Gill: Not This Again

Brea ImprovBrea CA · stand-up comedy tourTicketmaster-feed listing verified Sep 17
Event tickets

Open questions: a Falguni Pathak Atlanta/Buford (Sep 20) date appeared on only one aggregator and is held back; Diwali at Times Square 2026 has no confirmed date yet; a San Carlos–Belmont garba page showed conflicting dates — all excluded as unverifiable.

Student Corner: learning & career events

Useful webinars, challenges, fairs and youth programs — online and in person.

14 opportunities

Check age, enrollment and registration requirements on the organizer page. Times are shown in the organizer’s published time zone. Items marked “indexed” should be reconfirmed before applying or traveling.

Upcoming opportunities
Apply by

Small AI for Development Hackathon

Online · ages 18–35Two-day competition Oct 3–4; health, agriculture or tourism challengeEvent page verified live Sep 17
World Bank challenge details
Apply by

Coca-Cola Scholars Program

Online application · high school seniorsScholarship opportunity; check full eligibility and application requirementsEvent page verified live Sep 17
Scholarship application
Apply by

QuestBridge National College Match

Online applicationCollege-match opportunity for high-achieving students with financial needEvent page verified live Sep 17
Program details

Closing the Trust Gap

Online webinarAligning marketing and enrollment strategies around what students valueEvent page verified live Sep 17
Webinar details

Learners Know What They Value

Online webinarHow learner priorities shape choice and possibilityEvent page verified live Sep 17
Webinar details

Rutgers Graduate Open House

Rutgers UniversityGraduate-program information and admissions guidanceEvent page verified live Sep 17
Open house details

Pathways to STEM Night

Connecticut Science Center · Hartford CTFor middle and high school studentsEvent page verified live Sep 17
STEM night details
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NACAC National College Fair — Seattle

Seattle Convention CenterCollege-search fair with admission representativesEvent page verified live Sep 17
Fair details
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DubHacks

University of Washington · SeattleStudent hackathon and collaborative build weekendEvent page verified live Sep 17
Hackathon details

NACAC Virtual College Fair

OnlineCollege exploration with admission representativesEvent page verified live Sep 17
Virtual fair details

NACAC National College Fair — Baltimore

Baltimore Convention CenterNational college-search fair for students and familiesEvent page verified live Sep 17
Fair details

HBCU CONNECT Fall Virtual Career Fair

Online50 employers in a one-day career fairEvent page verified live Sep 17
Career fair details

UMass Dartmouth STEM Career Fair

UMass Dartmouth · MassachusettsSTEM career fair open to studentsEvent page verified live Sep 17
Career fair details

AI in Education Summit

Khan Lab School · Mountain View CAEducation and AI discussions for learners and educatorsEvent page verified live Sep 17
Summit details

Open question: no dated visa, OPT or H-1B webinar in this window could be confirmed from the sources checked, so none is listed.

Online events for the wider community

Practical virtual sessions you can join from anywhere, across education, immigration, money, health and AI.

8 virtual picks

Registration may be required. Convert the organizer’s published time to your local zone and confirm the access link before the session. Indexed listings were visible in search on Sep 12 but were not opened live.

September · online

Tips to Build & Protect Your Credit

Free Michigan State University webinarPractical credit-building and protection guidanceEvent page verified live Sep 17
Credit webinar registration

Building a Student Experience Designed for Gen Z

Inside Higher Ed webinarStudent-experience strategies designed around Gen ZEvent page verified live Sep 17
Webinar details

SCORE Bookkeeping

Online SCORE sessionBookkeeping guidance for small-business ownersEvent page verified live Sep 17
SCORE program details
October · online

SCORE Cash Flow

Online SCORE sessionCash-flow guidance for small-business ownersEvent page verified live Sep 17
SCORE program details

AI-Minded Program Design

Inside Higher Ed webinarProgram strategy for an AI-shaped education landscapeEvent page verified live Sep 17
Webinar schedule

Los Angeles Virtual Job Fair

OnlineLos Angeles-area virtual hiring eventEvent page verified live Sep 17
Job fair details
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AI Builders Global Conference

Virtual global conferenceSessions for AI builders and practitionersEvent page verified live Sep 17
Conference announcement

San Jose Virtual Job Fair

OnlineSan Jose-area virtual hiring eventEvent page verified live Sep 17
Job fair details

Festivals & holidays

One planning view for family calendars across India, the United States and Canada.

Sep 2026 – Apr 2027

Upcoming major observances from today through spring 2027.

India

Festivals + public holidays
  • Gandhi JayantiNational holiday.
  • Navratri
  • Dussehra / Vijayadashami
  • Karwa Chauth
  • Diwali / Deepavali
  • Govardhan Puja
  • Bhai DoojNov 11 in some regions.
  • Chhath
  • Guru Nanak Jayanti
  • Christmas
  • Makar Sankranti / Pongal
  • Thaipusam
  • Republic Day
  • Vasant Panchami
  • Maha Shivaratri
  • Holi
  • Ugadi / Gudi Padwa

Source: High Commission of India holiday list ↗

United States

Federal holidays
  • Columbus DayOfficial federal-holiday name.
  • Veterans Day
  • Thanksgiving
  • Christmas
  • Martin Luther King Jr. Day
  • Presidents Day

Source: U.S. Office of Personnel Management ↗

Canada

Federal calendar
  • National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
  • Thanksgiving
  • Remembrance Day
  • Christmas
  • Boxing Day
  • New Year’s Day
  • Family DayObserved in ON, AB, BC, SK and NB; not Quebec.

Source: Government of Canada holiday calendar ↗

Festival observance can vary by region, tradition and local calendar. Canadian statutory-holiday rules also vary by province and territory; confirm workplace and school closures locally.

Store & restaurant deals in five metros

Only explicit, current offers from each business’s own recent Instagram posts.

Verified Sep 12

Coverage is limited to DFW, Atlanta, Houston, Chicago and the Bay Area. Every listed offer links to its exact source post; vague, undated and expired promotions are excluded.

Dallas–Fort Worth

3 verified offers
Sep 11–17, 2026

DFW weekly grocery specials

India Bazaar DFW · Amma’s Kitchen Sona Masoori Rice, 20 lb, $9.99; GM Rajabogam Ponni Boiled Rice, 10 lb, $7.99 or two for $14; Telugu Foods Idli Rava, 4 lb, $3.49; Telugu Foods Rice Rava, 4 lb, $3.99; IB Maida, 4 lb, $1.99. While supplies last.

View exact Instagram post
Sep 11–13, 2026

Carrollton end-of-summer specials

India Bazaar Carrollton · 4132 TX-121. Itemized grocery prices run from $0.89 to $18.99; produce from $0.69/lb to $3.49/lb.

View exact Instagram post
Through Sep 17, 2026

Telugu Foods Rice Rava

India Bazaar DFW · 4 lb bag for $3.99 at all 13 DFW locations.

View exact Instagram post

Atlanta

Current snapshot

No qualifying current offer verified in this snapshot.

Houston

Current snapshot

No qualifying current offer verified in this snapshot.

Chicago

Current snapshot

No qualifying current offer verified in this snapshot.

Bay Area

Current snapshot

No qualifying current offer verified in this snapshot.

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