Pleasanton's Cultural Celebration Series set to kick off this month with Diwali festivities

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The city of Pleasanton will be kicking off its 2025-26 Cultural Celebration Series this month with an event on Oct. 18 celebrating Diwali, which is also known as the Hindu Festival of Lights. (Photo courtesy of the city of Pleasanton)

Pleasanton’s Library and Recreation Department has announced the launch of its 2025-26 Cultural Celebration Series, which is a string of events spread out over the next year that honor — and educate people on — various cultures and heritage months.

According to a press release from the city ahead of the opening celebration next weekend, the series is a collection of “engaging and educational events designed to bring the community together”.

“The Cultural Celebration Series is one of the most meaningful ways we live out the city’s commitment to building a community where everyone belongs,” city recreation manager Rachel Prater said in the press release. “These events invite residents of all ages and backgrounds to come together, celebrate traditions and create connections that strengthen the fabric of Pleasanton.”

The series will kick off with a Diwali Celebration next Saturday (Oct. 18) that will take place at the Pleasanton Senior Center. The program, which will last from 1-3 p.m., will highlight Diwali — also known as the Festival of Lights — with music and dance performances, cultural activities and opportunities for families to learn more about the Hindu festival.

Following that will be two cultural celebrations in November; one for Día de los Muertos and another for Native American Heritage Month.

The Día de los Muertos celebration will take place during the Mexican holiday on Nov. 1 and will feature activities that honor and remember loved ones — the holiday focuses mainly on remembering the dead — through art, culture and storytelling, according to the city. That event will also take place at the Pleasanton Senior Center and last from 1-3 p.m.

For Native American Heritage Month, the recreation department will be inviting the community to Alviso Adobe Community Park on Nov. 15 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. to also honor the stories, traditions and contributions of Native American communities.

“By offering opportunities for people of all ages and backgrounds to connect through arts, music, and reading, the city continues its commitment to promoting inclusion and cultural understanding,” according to the press release. “Each event will feature performances and family-friendly activities that honor and showcase the richness of Pleasanton’s cultural diversity.”

Looking ahead into the new year, the city also has a couple of other cultural celebrations planned as part of the series including one on Feb. 14 to celebrate Lunar New Year and one on Feb. 28 to celebrate Black History Month. Both of these events in 2026 will take place from 1-3 p.m. at the Senior Center.

The series will then wrap up on May 16 with an Asian American Pacific Islander Month celebration at the Firehouse Arts Center which will last from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

To learn more about the different — and free — events, visit the “Cultural Celebration Series” page at firehousearts.org.