Grand Dashain Mela 2026 Returns to Richmond, California, with Free Community Celebration
The Grand Dashain Mela runs 12 PM–10 PM on October 10 at the Nepali Community Center, 369 Chesley Avenue, Richmond — free admission, live music, Durga Puja, Jam
By Nepalese Events Australia Editorial
Published: 2026-09-28T00:00:00.000000Z
Category: Festivals
The biggest free Nepali festival on the US west coast is back. The Grand Dashain Mela 2026, hosted by the Nepali Association of Northern California (NANC) and the Nepali Community Center, runs Saturday, October 10, from 12 PM to 10 PM at the Nepali Community Center, 369 Chesley Avenue, Richmond, California.
Free entry, full programme
Admission is free, and the organiser's announced lineup covers both ritual and celebration: live music by local and national artists, traditional dance and cultural performances, Durga Puja, Jamara distribution (the sacred barley sprouts central to Dashain blessings), a Dashain marketplace, local business expo, Nepali food, children's activities, giveaways, and participation from community organisations and nonprofits.
The mela's stated theme this year is "हाम्रो संस्कृति • हाम्रो पहिचान • हाम्रो एकता" — "Our Culture, Our Identity, Our Unity" — a deliberate community-building rather than a commercial festival pitch.
The Jamara connection
The Jamara distribution deserves a mention for readers who've grown up overseas: jamara is the barley or maize shoot grown from Ghatasthapana onwards and worn behind the ear on tika day. A mela that distributes jamara is effectively offering the ritual centrepiece of Dashain to families who didn't grow their own — a small but significant touch that separates a genuine festival observance from a themed party.
NANC — the Nepali Association of Northern California — is one of the oldest Nepali community organisations on the west coast, and its community centre in Richmond has become the hub for the Bay Area's large Nepali population. The association's annual Dashain mela is the anchor event of its calendar, drawing attendees from across the Sacramento Valley and the wider northern California corridor.
Event details
Date: Saturday, October 10, 2026
Time: 12:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Venue: Nepali Community Center
Address: 369 Chesley Avenue, Richmond, CA 94801
Admission: Free
Audience: All ages, open to the wider community
The venue is the community's own centre rather than a rented hall, which is part of the appeal — Richmond is reachable for the entire Bay Area and Sacramento corridor, and the all-day format suits families who can't commit to an evening-only concert. Organisers are still inviting food businesses, performers, cultural groups, sponsors, volunteers and media volunteers to participate; the contact details are on the NANC announcement.
For families driving in, Chesley Avenue sits in Richmond's south side, a short hop off I-580; community-centre parking fills early at past melas, so street parking in the surrounding blocks is the usual overflow plan. The 12 PM start through 10 PM close means the program builds from family activities in the afternoon to the headline music sets after dark — plan the day in halves if you're bringing children.
Timing it with the Dashain calendar
October 10 sits a day before Ghatasthapana in US calendar terms — our US Dashain 2026 date guide explains the weekend clustering. On the east coast, DT Fest in Virginia runs the following day, making October 10–11 the heaviest festival weekend of the US Nepali year. For family coordination with Kathmandu, the Nepal–San Francisco time difference is the quick reference.
More west-coast community coverage lives on our USA news desk.
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