Garba 2026 USA: Navratri Garba and Dandiya Events State by State

Quick answer: We found more than 120 upcoming Garba and Dandiya listings for Navratri 2026 in 18 US states, from New Jersey, New York and Massachusetts to the San Francisco Bay Area, Southern California, Texas, Chicago, Atlanta and Seattle. Navratri runs from Sunday 11 to Monday 19 October 2026 (Drik Panchang). The busiest Garba nights in America are Friday 9 and Saturday 10 October and Friday 16 and Saturday 17 October, with many more on 23 and 24 October. Always confirm with the organiser before you travel.

Last updated: 7 October 2026.

Event status key: Confirmed means the date and venue appear on the organiser's own page or its official ticket page. Announced means the organiser has announced the night but some details, such as the venue, are not yet published. Listed — confirm with organiser means we saw the event only on a third-party aggregator listing.

Garba in the United States is organised by Gujarati Samaj and cultural associations, temples and havelis, student groups, charities and event promoters. Unlike Gujarat, where Garba is danced on all nine nights, most American communities hold it on the Friday and Saturday nights around Navratri, in school gyms, convention centres, temple halls and event centres. Some temples do hold nightly Garba. For Ghatasthapana times and Navratri dates city by city, see Navratri 2026 in the USA, city by city, and for how different communities celebrate, read Navratri in the USA: how Gujaratis and South Indians celebrate abroad.

Navratri 2026 dates and Garba weekends in the USA

• Navratri: Sunday 11 October to Monday 19 October 2026 (Drik Panchang, India), with Durga Ashtami and Maha Navami both on Monday 19 October.
• Dussehra (Vijayadashami): Tuesday 20 October 2026.
• Fri 9 and Sat 10 Oct: the eve and first weekend of Navratri, the busiest Garba weekend across the country.
• Fri 16 to Sun 18 Oct: the second Navratri weekend, with many finale nights.
• Fri 23 and Sat 24 Oct: post-Navratri Garba nights, including several Sharad Poonam and charity events.

For the full festival, see the Navratri 2026 NRI guide and Dussehra 2026 USA: Vijayadashami muhurat by city.

Garba hubs with their own pages

Six regions have so many listings that we cover them on separate pages, with full tables.

New Jersey

New Jersey has 19 upcoming listings, the most in the Northeast, in Edison, Woodbridge, New Brunswick, Somerset, Hillsborough, Monroe Township, East Brunswick, Princeton and Princeton Junction, Ewing, Secaucus and Saddle Brook. The key nights are 9, 10, 16 and 17 October, with more on 23 and 24 October. Several nights are already shown as sold out. See Garba 2026 New Jersey.

New York

New York has 7 upcoming listings: Manhattan (a beginners' Garba class on Thursday 8 October, a rooftop night on 10 October and a fundraiser on 24 October), Brooklyn (12 and 17 October) and Long Island (Uniondale on 10 October and Hicksville on 18 October). See Garba 2026 New York, which also covers the Connecticut events.

Boston and Massachusetts

Massachusetts has 9 upcoming listings. ISSO Shri Swaminarayan Hindu Temple in Lowell holds Garba on nine nights from 9 to 31 October. Wayland, Worcester, Burlington and Shree Umiya Dham in Foxboro all have nights on Saturday 10 October, Acton and Newton on 17 October, and Worcester and Burlington again on 24 October. See Garba 2026 Boston and Massachusetts.

San Francisco Bay Area

The Bay Area has 30 upcoming listings, the most of any region we checked, in San Jose, Fremont, Newark, Santa Clara, Sunnyvale, Cupertino, Milpitas, Dublin, Livermore, San Ramon, Mountain View, Saratoga, San Francisco and Tracy (Mountain House). The Gujarati Cultural Association of Bay Area runs six nights in Fremont, and Bay Area Youth Vaishnav Parivar five nights at Shreemaya Krishnadham Haveli in San Jose, between 9 and 24 October. See Garba 2026 Bay Area.

Texas

Texas has 11 upcoming listings in Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston and Austin. Radha Krishna Temple of Dallas in Allen holds Garba and Dandiya on 11 nights from Saturday 10 to Tuesday 20 October, and DFW Gujarati Samaj's Raas Garba in Frisco is on Saturday 10 October. Houston has Katy on 10 October and Stafford, Houston and Sugar Land on 23 and 24 October; Austin has Round Rock and Cedar Park. See Garba 2026 Texas.

Chicago

Chicagoland has 8 upcoming listings, five of them on Saturday 10 October, in Carol Stream, Bolingbrook, Libertyville, Medinah and Lake Zurich. Gujarati Samaj Chicago's 10 October Navratri is shown as sold out on the organiser's site. Later nights follow in Libertyville (17 and 24 October) and Carol Stream (23 October). See Garba 2026 Chicago.

Northeast and Mid-Atlantic: Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Virginia and Maryland

Pennsylvania (Philadelphia area)

Philadelphia-area families are also close to the Princeton and Ewing nights on our New Jersey page.

Connecticut

Northern Virginia

The Aldie event has a separate ticket listing for each of its two nights; the link above is for 10 October.

Maryland

We found no Garba listing in Washington DC itself, so DC-area families should look at the Northern Virginia and Maryland nights above.

Southern California

Los Angeles and Orange County

San Diego

The two GASD nights are at different venues, so check which one your ticket is for. Northern California events are on our Bay Area page.

Pacific Northwest and Southwest: Washington and Arizona

Washington (Seattle area)

The Seattle Gujarati Cultural Society's traditional Garba on Sunday 11 October had its venue listed as to be decided when we checked.

Arizona (Phoenix area)

The South: Georgia, Florida and the Carolinas

Georgia (Atlanta area)

Florida

The Tampa night appears on several near-identical ticket listings; buy from one listing only, and check with the organiser if unsure.

North Carolina (Charlotte)

We found no upcoming 2026 listing for Raleigh and the Triangle when we checked. In South Carolina, the only listing we found, in Greenville, was already held in September (see the table below).

Midwest: Ohio, Wisconsin and Michigan

For Illinois, see our Garba 2026 Chicago page.

Ohio (Columbus)

Wisconsin

Ticket listings for the Franklin night give two different street numbers on South Ballpark Drive, so check the exact address on the temple's page before you drive.

Michigan (Detroit area)

We found no 2026 listing for Minneapolis-St Paul or Denver when we checked.

Already held this season

Many American communities start Garba weeks before Navratri. These pre-Navratri nights in the states above have already taken place; we list them so you know the organisers to follow next year.

No Garba listed in your city?

We list only events we could verify on 7 October 2026. Many American Garba nights are organised by temples, Gujarati Samaj groups and student associations and announced only on their own pages. We found no 2026 listing yet for Washington DC proper, Raleigh, Denver or Minneapolis, for example. To find one near you:

• Hindu temples and havelis: many hold Navratri puja and Garba in their hall or a rented school gym; check the temple's website or newsletter.
• Gujarati Samaj and cultural associations: most metro areas have one, and they usually post Navratri plans on their websites, Facebook or Instagram.
• University and high-school groups: Indian and South Asian student associations often host a Garba night, as the Philadelphia, Fairfax and Sunnyvale listings show.
• Neighbouring metros: a drive to the nearest listed city may be practical for a Saturday night.

Practical tips for Garba in America

• Late nights: many American Garba nights start at 7:30 to 9 PM and run past midnight. Plan the drive home and arrange childcare or an early exit for little ones.
• School gyms and sports halls: many venues are schools or sports centres, which may ask for flat, non-marking shoes and ban food in the hall. Check the venue's page.
• Parking: parking at popular venues fills quickly on Saturday nights. Arrive early, check the venue's page for parking rules and consider car-pooling.
• Weather: October evenings are cool in the Northeast, Midwest and Pacific Northwest. Bring a layer for the walk from the car park.
• Tickets: buy only from the organiser's page or its official ticket link. Where the same night appears on several listings, check with the organiser so you do not pay twice.
• Families: bring water, agree a meeting point with children and keep beginners in the outer circle.

Why Garba is devotional

Garba is danced in a circle around a garbo, a clay pot with a lamp inside, or an image of Ma Amba, the Goddess worshipped during Navratri. As traditionally understood, the lamp represents the Divine light within every life, and the circle of dancers reflects the cycle of time around the Goddess at the centre. That is why a Garba night usually begins with an aarti. For American friends and colleagues joining for the first time, it helps to explain that Garba is joyful worship as well as a celebration. Read more in Garba meaning and spiritual significance, the history of Garba from Gujarat to the world and Navratri mantras and prayers before Garba.

First-timer tips

• Dress: see our Garba dress guide, and the Navratri 2026 colours if you like to follow the colour of the day.
• Steps: start with the simple two-clap step in the outer circle. Our Garba for beginners guide explains it.
• Dandiya: many American events include dandiya with sticks. See Garba vs Dandiya Raas.
• Etiquette: bow to Mataji on arrival, stand for the aarti and do not cross the centre of the circle.

Details change — always confirm date, venue and tickets on the organiser's official page before you travel. Listings are for information; HinduTone is not affiliated with organisers.

Also read: Garba 2026 worldwide: all countries.

Frequently asked questions

Where is Garba near me in the USA in 2026?

Garba nights for Navratri 2026 are listed in New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Northern Virginia, Maryland, California, Texas, Illinois, Washington, Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, Ohio, Wisconsin, Arizona and Michigan. Use the state sections above, or the dedicated pages for New Jersey, New York, Boston, the Bay Area, Texas and Chicago. If your city is not listed, check your nearest Hindu temple or Gujarati Samaj, which usually announce Navratri events on their own websites and social pages.

When is Garba in the USA in 2026?

Navratri 2026 runs from Sunday 11 to Monday 19 October (Drik Panchang, India), with Dussehra on Tuesday 20 October. Most American Garba nights fall on Friday 9 and Saturday 10 October and on Friday 16 and Saturday 17 October, with many more on 23 and 24 October and a few into late October and November.

Is Garba free in the USA?

Almost all the events on this page are ticketed, because organisers rent school gyms, convention halls or event centres. Some are charity fundraisers, and the Miami event states that children 12 and under go free. Check each organiser's page for ticket options and buy early, as several events are already shown as sold out.

What should I wear to Garba?

Chaniya choli for women and kediyu or kurta for men are traditional, but any bright, modest outfit is welcome. Some nights have a theme, such as an all-white dress code. Wear flat, comfortable shoes and check the venue's footwear rule, since many events are in school gyms or sports halls. See our Garba dress guide for ideas.

Can non-Gujaratis join Garba in America?

Yes. Garba nights in the USA welcome friends, colleagues, students and neighbours of every background, and several events listed here are run by student groups, schools and charities. Stand respectfully for the aarti, join the outer, slower circle first and follow the dancers around you.

Is there Garba in Washington DC, Raleigh, Denver or Minneapolis?

We found no 2026 Garba listing for Washington DC itself, Raleigh, Denver or Minneapolis when we checked on 7 October 2026. DC-area families can look at the Northern Virginia and Maryland events above. In other metros, check local Hindu temples and Gujarati Samaj pages, as many community Garba nights are announced only there.

Editor's note (7 October 2026)

We compiled this list on 7 October 2026 from organiser websites and official ticket pages for each event. We do not include ticket prices or performers, and we record sold-out notes as they appeared when we checked. Navratri dates follow Drik Panchang for India. Organisers set and may change the details, and we will update this page as more Garba nights in the USA are announced.

Related guides

• Garba 2026 New Jersey
• Garba 2026 New York
• Garba 2026 Boston and Massachusetts
• Garba 2026 Bay Area
• Garba 2026 Texas
• Garba 2026 Chicago
• Navratri 2026 in the USA, city by city
• Navratri in the USA: how Gujaratis and South Indians celebrate
• Dussehra and Bathukamma 2026 in the USA
• Navratri 2026 NRI guide