The laser show is over, and so is the bazaar. Last Saturday, October 24, the FOG Diwali Mela filled Washington High School at 38442 Fremont Blvd from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. The day included a Ramayana laser show, a Ramleela, open Garba and Dandiya, a Lakshmi Pooja, and an India Bazaar of clothing, jewelry and handicrafts. Festival of Globe Silicon Valley and Fremont Hindu Temple hosted it, and for many households it was the biggest Diwali gathering of the year.
Diwali itself is still ten days away. Lakshmi Puja falls on Sunday, November 8, 2026, according to Drik Panchang's calculation for Fremont. In Fremont, the public celebration comes first and the holiday comes later. The core of what remains falls on one weekend, November 6 to 8, and Sunday evening's puja window sets the schedule for everything around it.
The Mela Was the Public Half
What's left doesn't happen on a school campus with ticketed entry. It happens at home, at the temple, and at a few counters along Mowry Avenue. That changes what planning looks like. The mela was one long Saturday with everything in one place. The holiday weekend is a set of fixed times spread across Friday, Saturday and Sunday, plus some shopping that has to be done before Friday.
The five days of Diwali fall on these dates this year, as listed by Sri Siddhi Vinayaka Cultural Center, the temple at 40155 Blacow Rd.
| Day | Date | What SVCC lists |
|---|---|---|
| Dhanteras / Dhantrayodashi | Friday, Nov. 6 | Day one of five |
| Narak Chathurdasi / Choti Diwali | Saturday, Nov. 7 | No event at the temple |
| Lakshmi Puja / Main Diwali | Sunday, Nov. 8 | Temple open 9 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. |
| Govardhan Pooja / Annakut | Monday, Nov. 9 | Day four of five |
| Bhai Dooj | Tuesday, Nov. 10 | Day five of five |
The first three days land on a weekend this year. Friday evening, Saturday and Sunday each have something going on, and Saturday is the most open of the three.
Friday Evening Starts in Milpitas
Dhanteras is traditionally the day for new beginnings in business and household accounts. The closest public observance on the calendar is at BAPS San Jose, 1430 California Circle in Milpitas, just over the Fremont line. Its Sharda Pujan, also called Chopda Pujan, is set for Friday, November 6. The pujan runs from 6:30 to 6:45 p.m., aarti from 6:45 to 8 p.m., and mahaprasad from 8 to 9 p.m., according to the BAPS event page.
The pujan itself is short. Anyone coming from Warm Springs or Irvington after work only needs to reach Milpitas by 6:30, and the rest of the evening is built around the aarti and the meal.
Saturday Is the Open Afternoon
On Saturday, November 7, SVCC lists Narak Chathurdasi with "No event at the temple." In the Hindu calendar, Saturday night is when the new moon arrives. Drik Panchang puts the start of Amavasya Tithi at 9:57 p.m. on November 7 in Fremont.
The afternoon has one clear public option, about a 10-minute drive from central Fremont. The Newark Library at 37055 Newark Blvd hosts its 5th annual Diwali Variety Show from 12:30 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, November 7. Eternity Band organizes it, with Indian dance and music in both classical and modern styles. Per the Alameda County Library listing, admission is free and no registration is required. The library will also provide an ASL interpreter or closed captioning if you ask at least three business days ahead.
The show ends at 4. That leaves Saturday evening for rangoli, diyas and getting the house ready, which is what the empty temple calendar for that night allows.
For Sikh families, Bandi Chhor Divas falls on the same day as Diwali. Check the Gurdwara Sahib Fremont website for the 2026 program closer to the weekend. The Fremont Hindu Temple events page is also worth checking as November gets closer, since the temple co-hosted the mela.
Sunday Evening Has a Window
Most of the weekend builds toward this. Drik Panchang's Fremont calculation puts the Lakshmi Puja muhurat on Sunday, November 8, from 5:23 to 7:14 p.m., one hour and 51 minutes long. Pradosh Kaal runs a little longer on each end, from 5:02 to 7:46 p.m. Amavasya ends at 11:01 p.m. that night.
SVCC's Sunday schedule fits inside that window. The temple on Blacow Road is open from 9 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., and the evening runs in this order:
- 6 p.m., Mahalakshmi Abhishekam
- 7 p.m., Sahasranama Kumkumarchana
- Archana and Mantra Pushpam
- Maha Mangala Aarthi
- Theertha Prasada Viniyogaha
Regular visitors should know the temple's Diwali notice also says there is no Ganesha Abhishekam that day. The 6 p.m. start sits in the middle of the muhurat. A family doing puja at home first could do it right at 5:23 and still get to Blacow Road for the 7 p.m. Kumkumarchana. The temple's page also has a sankalpam link for the Diwali abhishekam.
Families with children have a daytime option on Sunday. BAPS San Jose's Kids' Diwali Celebration runs from noon to 7 p.m. at the same Milpitas address, with hands-on activities and family programming, per the event page. Afternoon at BAPS, evening puja at home, then temple: on paper the timing works.
The Shopping Has to Happen Before Friday
Once the weekend schedule is set, shopping has a deadline. Flowers, sweets, diyas and puja items all need to be in the house by Friday afternoon. Many of the stops are close together, on one short stretch of Mowry Avenue and one block of Fremont Boulevard.
Mowry Avenue
- New India Bazar, 5113 Mowry Ave. An Indian, Pakistani and Sri Lankan grocery. The family business says it has served the Bay Area since 1992.
- Vivek Flowers, 5115 Mowry Ave. Right next door at the store listing address, so garlands and groceries can be one parking spot.
- Chaat Bhavan, 5355 Mowry Ave. Open 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, according to its locations page.
- Bharat Bazar, 3400 Mowry Ave. The Fremont branch of a grocery that also has a Union City store at 34301 Alvarado-Niles Rd, per its site.
Fremont Boulevard
- Lovely Sweets & Snacks, 41031 Fremont Blvd. A North Indian kitchen with online ordering and catering.
- Apni Mandi, 41081 Fremont Blvd. Indian groceries and snacks, plus street food made fresh daily, according to its site.
New India Bazar and Vivek Flowers share a block, and Chaat Bhavan is a short drive down the same road. On Fremont Boulevard, Lovely Sweets and Apni Mandi are 50 street numbers apart.
None of these businesses have posted Diwali hours or mithai-box deadlines for 2026. If you're ordering sweet boxes for family or the office, call during the week of November 2. By Friday the 6th, Dhanteras has already begun.
Monday and Tuesday Keep Going
The season doesn't end Sunday night. SVCC lists Govardhan Pooja and Annakut for Monday, November 9, and Bhai Dooj for Tuesday, November 10. The temple's November calendar also starts Skanda Sashti worship that Monday, running nightly at 6:30 p.m. through November 13. A Kartika Somavara Rudrabhishekam is set for 6:30 p.m. on November 9 as well.
That puts a 6:30 p.m. service on the Blacow Road temple's calendar every weeknight from Monday, November 9, through Friday, November 13.
From Moni Shah and family: Happy Diwali, Fremont. If you're hosting this year and wondering how much room your home has for a full house of guests, or what your home is worth before a move up, let's talk. I'm glad to help in English, Hindi, Punjabi or Urdu.
