The exhilaration of dancing while being doused from head to toe in coloured powder is unbeatable. Add a cheerful community of students and young families, plus some activities and games, and you’ve got a  great event for your September calendar.

Halifax Colour Festival photo by Helen Earley
The Halifax Colour Festival is organised by Dalhousie Gujarati Student Association (DAL GSA) in partnership with Indian Festivals Club of Nova Scotia (IFCNS). One of Halifax’s newest and most exciting cultural festivals, it turns four years old in 2018. The festival is run by dedicated volunteers, many of them current or former Dal and SMU students.
The history of the festival is best described by the description on the IFNS website:
“Indian Festivals Club Of Nova Scotia” was founded in 2013 by Group of enthusiastic Friends who wanted to celebrate the events that can break the bridges between cultures. We Started by celebrating the Navratri Festival, One of the most famous festival in West India, and then added Diwali right after that. After succession of these two festivals we started celebrating Colour Festival from 2015…and that became the one of the most beautiful events in year.”
The Colour Festival therefore, celebrates many cultures and many things, including the welcoming of new and returning students to Halifax for the fresh academic year.
Although many of the attendees are Dalhousie students, there are plenty of others including students from other universities, and plenty of families with young children.
We even met one festival-goer who was only 9 months old!
Having booked and ordered our festival package online, we arrived and headed straight for the registration desk where we grabbed sunglasses, festival-t-shirts and most importantly, those exciting bags of coloured powder.
The opportunity to throw the coloured powder happens every 30 minutes, during a “colour smash”.

There’s no need to check your watch. At the appointed time, the DJ will call everyone to a central spot and count down. Then – just throw, dance – and be doused! It’s even OK, within reason, to rub powder into your friends’ hair and clothes.

Halifax Colour Festival photo by Helen Earley

Manufactured in India, the powder claims to be completely non-toxic, non-irritating, smooth, free of heavy metals and biodegradable. The ingredients listed on the package are cornstarch, colour and fragrance. We had no adverse reactions to the powder at all, although one of the bags did smell a bit musty.

 

The powder goes quickly, but there is additional powder available for sale. My daughter became pretty enthusiastic about ripping open the packets. One or two throws, and it’s gone! If you’re on a tight budget, consider prepping your kids by telling them that it’s not an unending supply (when we visited, extra packets were $5.00 each, or 5 for $10.00)

There are other activities too, including field games such as tug of war. When we attended, there was a fun kiosk sponsored by Halifax Water, where we won a towel in exchange for answering a quiz. The main sponsor of The Halifax Colour Festival is RBC.

Halifax Colour Festival photo by Helen Earley

Is the festival safe? We thought so! Is it suitable for families of all ages? Absolutely, so go, and get colourful! It’s an experience that your kids are unlikely to forget.

The Halifax Colour Festival promises to be a great day out, especially if the weather is good.

oin us for our 8th annual “Halifax Colour Festival” Where we will play with colours and dance with music. We will have on site water stations as well to play with water.
This is a FREE Entry Event. First 500 people will get 2 FREE colour pouches.
Colours | Food Trucks | Crafts | Designated Bar Area |
This event is for open for everyone and All ages are welcome..!!..So bring your family & friends and “Spread Love and Joy”
We are also going to have “Tug of War” and “Beat the Beans”. Use your skills to be on winning side and take home prizes. Where you may end up getting event tickets for our future events or free perks..!!..
**** Please be advised that NO outside colours will be allowed as a safety precaution..!!!..
:: Our Colours Are ::
1. Non -Toxic *
2. 100% Biodegradable
3. Vibrant Colors
4. Non Irritant / Skin Friendly *
5. Free From Heavy Metals**
6. Very Smooth
7. Moisture Free
*Certified by National Toxicology Centre.
**Certified by SGS Labs.
For SPONSORSHIP Please Contact us at : ifcns.canada@gmail.com
For QUESTIONS and VOLUNTEERING contact us at : ifcns.canada@gmail.com

Halifax Colour Festival

When: September 17th, 2022
Time: 4:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Where: Alderney Landing
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/3058350717739494/

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