Splashes of color and water to mark two holidays in Montclair

Vibrantly colored puffs of powder took over Brookdale Park on Sunday morning as AAPI Montclair hosted its second annual Color Run to mark two Asian celebrations. 

About 1,200 people came out to commemorate Holi, the Hindu festival of color, love and spring, and Songkran, the Thai New Year. Water was splashed on participants to represent the washing away of bad luck and sins for the new year. Holi was originally celebrated on March 8 to mark the end of winter, and Songkran took place from April 13 to 15. 

Lavanya Raghavan and Wendy Wong, co-leaders of the event, felt combining a celebration of the two holidays alongside a 5K run would be perfect with the recent onset of warm weather. 

“A run is a perfect way to bring an entire community together,” Wong said. AAPI Montclair welcomed joggers and walkers and accommodated those with strollers and wheelchairs. 

“It really ties back to what AAPI Montclair is about, which is creating presence in the community and saying that we are Asian and American and inclusive of it all,” Raghavan said. 

— Talia Adderley