Events
We are available for art fairs, popups, parties, and much more!
Our Upcoming Events
Did you enjoy your previous henna experience? Looking forward to more henna?
Here’s where you can find us next:
Harrington Elementary Kindness Rocks, Wednesday April 24th [6:15 PM-7:30 PM], 328 Lowell Street Lexington MA 02420
HarryPalooza, Sunday June 2nd, 328 Lowell Street Lexington MA 02420
Henna Workshop - Hopkingtion, MA, Saturday August 10th, [2:00 to 4:00 PM], Hopkington Public Library
Henna Workshop - Wayland MA, June 24th, [4:00 to 6:00 PM], Wayland Public Library
Take A Look At Our Past Events Below!
Indian Americans of Lexington Diwali Festival
On October 29th, 2023, all of Henna for Humanity, along with Ashvita and Nishtha, two LHS Henna Club members, did henna at a Diwali Festival hosted by the Indian Americans of Lexington. As a group of young, Indian-American students, we gladly accepted the invitation to celebrate such a huge occasion in our culture, the Festival of Lights, known more commonly as Diwali. During the event, there were plenty of other vendors that were selling traditional jewelry and clothing, along with some incredible dance and vocal performances to popular Bollywood songs.
Diwali falls on November 12th, in 2023, as the date changes based on the Hindu lunar calendar. It can fall anywhere between mid-October to mid-November. This festival is celebrated all over India, and also by people of Indian descent internationally. Traditionally, people light diyas, or clay lamps, outside their homes to ward off evil spirits and celebrate the triumph of good over evil. More recently, it has become a common tradition to light fire crackers and sparklers to make the celebration all the more exciting.
During the Diwali Event, we were able to enjoy doing henna on people from different parts of India, who were coming together to celebrate such a core festival to our community. All the while bringing just a little more fun and flavor of our own. Thank you everyone who stopped by and got henna done! Connecting back to our roots and culture, the place this all started from, was such an amazing and extraordinary experience!
Bedford Music and Arts Fair
On June 17th, 2023, Saadhana and Vinaya from Henna for Humanity attended the Bedford Cultural District’s Music and Arts Fair, at the First Parish Church. We were very lucky to be invited by Angela Carpenter, one of the participants running the Kindness Rocks stand, and a friend of ours who has selflessly recommended and reached out to us with event opportunities. The fair featured artisans who made their own jewelry, and even a stand running a community painting for everybody to come and participate on. Throughout this event, we experienced a wide variety of people and their own passions and interests.
In addition to the freestyle designs and intricate patterns we worked on, we also had the privilege to be interviewed by Bedford TV MA at the event. The staff members were very accommodating, kind, and gave us an opportunity to showcase our art, and our initiative to a wider audience. Along with the Kindness Rocks, and of course, Beford Farms ice cream, who were also at the event, we were beyond excited to be expanding into new towns and cities, and hoping to spread the message of giving to even more areas.
HarryPalooza at Harrington Elementary School
Spring finally feels like it’s here! That means Henna for Humanity is on the rise leading up to and during the summer. This time, we started local with one of the elementary schools in the Lexington area. Saadhana, Vinaya, Niyathi, and Ashvita, including one of our wonderful friends from Clarke Henna Club, Lisa, attended the fair. As it was our second time being welcomed to a Harrington school community event, we took it upon ourselves to thank these wonderful people for the joy and positivity they spread through our work.
HarryPalooza is a annual fair run by the Harrington PTO, and yearly features plenty of snacks and candy, creative games, a bouncy house and a highly anticipated raffle with incredible prizes. The fair is always a highlight for the Harrington community, and we were beyond excited to be a part of it. The PTO were familiar with us because of our appearance at Harrington’s Kindness Rocks event, which you can read about below. So, they invited us to join their HarryPalooza festival, and we readily agreed.
Since Saadhana, Niyathi and Ashvitha all attended Harrington in the past, and with Vinaya is graduating this year, it was truly special to be able to reminisce our time there while still continuing to make new memories with Henna for Humanity.
Winchester AAPI Cultural Festival
May is Asian American and Pacific Islanders Month, and that means, throughout the month , people from these countries get to be especially proud of and celebrate their heritage. The Network for Social Justice Winchester did exactly that. As we are an organization comprised of Indian Americans, the Network, after meeting us at a previous event, decided that we would be a wonderful addition to their already culture-rich event. We readily agreed, and were proud to be able to represent our culture to the fullest.
Joined by Ashvitha, a new member of Henna for Humanity, Saadhana and Niyathi attended the festival on May 17th, 2023. During the event, we did henna designs for people looking to learn and experience more about Asian American culture and art. The patrons as well as the volunteers at the event were very engaged and interested in the experience, and we loved that we could converse comfortably with each and every one of our customers. We met people from many different backgrounds and ethnicities, and it was incredibly fascinating to see that such a vast group were interested in what we do. It showed us that, when working for a cause that promotes welfare and education, it touches and resonates with many people.
Kindness Rocks Project at Harrington Elementary School
On April 27, 2023, Vinaya and Niyathi visited Harrington Elementary School in Lexington, to do henna at their Kindness Rocks event. We were lucky enough to be invited by Mrs. Angela Carpenter, a music teacher at the school. She had visited us previously at one of our events, and we are so grateful that she thought we would be a great fit for her school’s event.
The Kindness Rocks Project is an annual event run buy Harrington, in which students, friends, and family come together to paint and decorate rocks which spread positive affirmation and encouragement. We loved the idea immediately, seeing as it was such a creative and enjoyable way to spread the ever important message of kindness.
The Kindness Rocks project is already something Harrington families look forward to, which made it even more special how openly they welcomed us. The entire Harrington community is truly committed to the message of kindness they were spreading throughout the event, which we loved seeing and experiencing. Thank you Harrington and thank you to everyone who did something kind today!
Henna Program for Tweens at Acton Memorial Library
On April, 21, 2023, Vinaya and Niyathi from Henna for Humanity traveled to the Acton Memorial Library to run a henna class for tweens who were interested. During this class, we introduced the attendees to henna, it’s history, and it’s application over various mediums. Vinaya and Niyathi walked their class through a introductory presentation, design practice, and finally, decorating their own henna canvases, which they all got to take home.
“For me, at least, it wasn’t a class, but more of a workshop, where all of us worked collaboratively,” says Vinaya, when describing her experience. “The girls at the workshop seemed eager, and ready to take on the challenge of trying henna for the first time, and I loved that,” adds Niyathi. As Vinaya, Niyathi and the participants were all in the same age group, they were able to chat and design comfortably together, which ultimately contributed to a more enjoyable, personable, and memorable experience for everyone. All of us at Henna for Humanity always appreciate the interest of people towards our art and culture. To see so many excited and ready to learn more about henna fills us with gratitude, because it helps us realize what kind of a difference we want to make. A place where everyone can get to be excited about something in their lives, have something to look forward to, and we believe in AASAI to help us do that. We are eternally grateful that for some of you, the activity you look forward to is henna. Thank you to everyone who attended this workshop, and if you are interested in another, look for us at the Wayland Public Library on June 8th!
Henna for Diwali!
During the months of October and even November, Diwali festivities, parties, and performances have been going on, and we were more than excited to be a part of them!
In Hindu culture, Diwali is the festival of lights. It’s celebrated as the day King Rama, from the Indian Mythology Epic, the ‘Ramayana’, returned to his kingdom after 14 years of exile. It was a joyous day in the story and is celebrated as one today. There are other versions of the story of Diwali depending on where you are in India, so this is just one version.
Diwali today is observed with sparklers, diyas (Clay lamps), delicious food, and colorful dresses. This year, we were asked to come and add to the already packed Diwali parties by giving the guests something to remember the party by, our henna designs! Thank you so much to everyone who allowed us to make their party even better. Happy Diwali from Henna for Humanity!
Refugee Artisans of Worcester Opening Reception & Artist Demonstration
On October 9th, 2022, Vinaya and Niyathi visited LexArt for the second time, participating in the Refugee Artisans of Worchester’s Opening Artist Reception. In between painting henna, we explored crafts of many new cultures, learning about the traditional roots and emotional connections many other artisans have to their crafts, similar to ours. Visiting LexArt. In total, we raised $113 during this amazing event. Collaborating with LexArt again and seeing all the patrons excited about our craft was truly a touching experience!
British International School of Boston and YES! Grand Re-Opening
September 24, 2022, was a long, hectic, yet wonderful day for Henna for Humanity. We had booked 2 events on the same day, which meant that we had to split up between the British International School of Boston’s Fall Festival in Jamaica Plains, MA, and the YES! Grand Re-opening in Arlington, MA. It was definitely and tight and chaotic schedule, but we were able to push through and make it happen.
Advika, Vinaya, and Saadhana were located at the YES! Grand Re-opening in Arlington. YES! is a company dedicated to minimizing the use of plastics and the amount of trash people throw away every day. When YES! reached out to us, we were absolutely thrilled to be invited by such a wonderful company that worked for a truly incredible cause. During the event, we were outside the store with our supplies and mainly did henna for the YES! shoppers. There, we got to talk with the owners of the shop, the mother and daughter who had invited us to do henna. They were extremely kind and welcoming to us and both got henna done. We chatted about what our missions are and how we are all trying to make the world a better place, just in different ways.
Meanwhile, Niyathi and Abhinav were at the British International School of Boston, a festival organized by Cathy Benwell and Russel Brown. Since this was a school event, most customers were teenagers. Niyathi was doing henna constantly as there was a very huge crowd at her stall. Thankfully, Abhinav helped Niyathi out by keeping the crowd under control as well as taking photos, talking with others about henna, and logging the number of hands and donations, something that Saadhana usually does. Although there was a huge crowd, we were really amazed and grateful by the amount people that were interested. One special mention is Keena Patel, who supported us throughout the event and gave us an incredible contribution of $150.
We are so incredibly grateful for everyone who believed in us during the BISB and YES! events, in which we raised a total of $258. Thank you all so much and we hope that we will be able to have another wonderful day like this again.
Henna for Humanity at the Herb Fest - Read about it below!
The Herb Fest
On Saturday, September 10th Henna for Humanity attended the Herb Fest, which the Lexington Historical Society had organized. During one of our previous events, Ann Lee from the Lexington Historical Society approached us with the invitation to attend the Herb Fest as a vendor. She explained how the festival was organized as an event that appreciates the use of different herbs and plants in everyday life. Since henna paste is made from plants, we gladly agreed to attend. Thanks to Ann’s interest and kindness, we were able to share our cause and our henna art with even more people.
During the event, we raised $180 for AASAI. Overall the event was a very new and exciting experience for us. Because it wasn’t a farmer’s market, we had a large variety of people visiting us, from people roaming Lexington Center, to people from important organizations! During the event, we met many amazing and kind people who really enjoyed getting henna done. But, we also met a few correspondents from LexSeeHer, an organization in Lexington which promotes the achievements and contributions of women from our town. We were truly grateful to be recognized by such a wonderful organization and by such amazing people at the Herb Fest.
Lexington and Belmont Farmer’s Markets
During the week of August 21st, Advika, Saadhana, Vinaya, and Niyathi visited both the Lexington and Belmont Farmer’s Markets on Tuesday and Thursday respectively. During both markets, we raised a total of $224.52 for the AASAI foundation. These were the first markets that we attended as a whole group, and we liked chatting and enjoying our time together while waiting for customers. While painting our clients’ hands, we loved talking with and getting to know them. A big part of our initiative is helping to lift the spirits of others, and being kind and talkative is how we love to do that. We always love to hear peoples’ stories and experiences, and what makes them interested in henna. It’s one of the reasons we love going to farmer’s markets, because talking to others is something that always brightens our day.
Winchester Farmer’s Market
On August 13th, 2022, since Saadhana and Vinaya weren’t able to join us, Advika and Niyathi from Henna For Humanity were welcomed at Winchester's Farmers Market. We were able to raise a total of $202 for the AASAI foundation thanks to generous gifts from numerous of our clients during the market. After encountering so many interesting folks who were curious about the cultural importance of henna, we met a wonderful woman who shared her henna and Indian cultural experiences with us. She volunteered to help us convey our message to others. "Women empower women," she declared. Hearing her remarks changed our day and reminded us of why we are so dedicated to our purpose.
The Belmont and Lexington Farmer’s Markets
During the week of 7/3/22, Henna for Humanity was invited to attend the Belmont and Lexington Farmer’s Markets. In total, we raised $174 for the AASAI foundation because of everyone’s generous donations and interest in henna. During the Belmont Market, the weather was absolutely beautiful, which meant many people came to the market, which was an amazing opportunity for us. Sitting at our table in the middle of the summer was challenging, but we definitely enjoyed the experience because many people visited the stall and were happy to get henna done. We were grateful to people from both towns that visited Henna For Humanity and we hope that we can come back countless more times.
The Belmont and Winchester Farmer’s Markets
During the week of 6/19/22, Henna for Humanity visited the Belmont and Winchester Farmer’s Market, both for a second time. We were looking forward to more fabulous experiences at the markets and doing henna for more generous and helpful people. During the market, many of our visitors donated plenty to support the AASAI foundation, and we raised $168 in total. “Niyathi, Saadhana, and I are going to a lot more markets together and we are really figuring out how farmer’s markets work,” says Vinaya. As a team, we are definitely becoming more experienced and knowledgeable about running our initiative which is proving to be very helpful. Adding on, many of the business owners at the market showed lots of interest in our stall and were gladly willing to get henna done. We always love to see the smiles on peoples’ faces when they take the time to truly appreciate our henna art.
Our First Birthday Party
On 6/9/22, Henna for Humanity was hired by our very first client, Beth Davidson, for her daughter’s 21st birthday party. Since this was the first time someone had hired us to do a personal event, Vinaya and Niyathi weren’t sure what to expect. Yet, we were pleasantly surprised. “I didn’t know what was going to happen, my heart was pounding and my palms were a bit clammy. But, as I walked in the door, Beth offered me a drink and welcomed me in, and that was when I knew this experience was going to be amazing,” commented Vinaya. Both girls appreciated the experience and we learned a lot from it. We did henna for 6 girls at the party, and we actually had to be extremely flexible. Many of the clients asked for designs on both sides of their hands, and we didn’t mind, however, we hadn’t really planned to do over 6 designs. We had to be very versatile and think of new patterns and designs on the spot, showcasing our expertise and professionalism.
Overall, we learned a ton from this experience and we can’t wait to have another opportunity like this one to showcase our henna art. Feel free to contact us if you want to hire Henna for Humanity for any special event of yours!
Belmont Farmer’s Market
On 6/2/22, Henna For Humanity attended the Belmont Farmer’s Market. It wasn’t the most beautiful day, but many people were willing to stop by and get their hands painted and learn more about henna, which we were extremely grateful for. Throughout the market, we charged $5 per hand and allowed the customers to donate more if they were willing to. After the event, we raised $81 for the AASAI foundation because of everyone’s generous donations. Once again, we were truly thankful for this opportunity and we hope that we can come back to Belmont again!
The South Asian Festival
The South Asian Festival, which took place on 5/14/2022, was a marvelous place to showcase our henna art. This fair was organized to spread awareness about South Asian countries such as India, Bhutan, Pakistan, and the surrounding areas. During this festival, people were able to take a sneak peek into the beauty of South Asian crafts, which ranged from authors to artists from the region.
Although it was hot and tiring, Niyathi was extremely excited about participating in this event, and it was definitely worth it in the end. Once the festival had wrapped up, she felt really proud about being able to share our cultural craft with the world. Showcasing our craft at the South Asian Festival was a huge step forward for Henna for Humanity, since sharing our tradition with our community is a huge part of making our initiative successful. We felt that our initiative was reaching new heights and spreading cultural awareness, one of our major goals.
To sum up, we are definitely grateful to the South Asian Festival for allowing Henna for Humanity to display a part of our Indian culture, and we hope that our next events will be as thrilling as this one.
The Winchester Farmer’s Market
Through the Winchester Artists’ Network, we were offered the opportunity to showcase our craft at the Winchester Farmers’ Market on 9/11/2021. As one of the artisans showcasing their craft, we were able to experiment with different styles and improvise on designs not just on hands but on ankles, shoulders & wrists, something we hadn’t explored previously. It was also energizing to get live feedback from young kids (ages 4-7), teens (middle and high schoolers), and even adults the entire time. In total, we raised $230 for humanitarian causes in India, and overall, it was a positive experience and we learned much from our interactions. We also came back with many ideas for outreach, and hope that we can go back to the market in the future to keep our connection with the community alive.
The Lexington Farmer’s Market
On August 3rd, 2021, Saadhana, Vinaya, and I set up a stall at the Lexington Farmer’s Market and did Mehndi for the duration of the market (4.5 hours). It was quite hot and humid, but by the conclusion of the market, we had raised a total of $209, which was far more than we had anticipated. We were all really grateful to everyone who stopped by our stall to have their hands painted, as well as to the people who made it happen, namely my parents and Alex, the Market Manager.
LexArt
On May 8th, 2021, I debuted my Mehndi skills in an art fair organized by the Lexington Arts & Crafts Society (LexArt). I raised $153 and donated the money to The Samarthanam Trust for the Disabled to help children and people with disabilities get the care they need during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was wonderful to be a part of this art fair and by extension, a part of a change for India! I am looking forward to working with many other organizations to make a change through Indian art.
Wedding and Engagement Parties
My First Engagement Party
On July 11th, 2021, I broadened my skills and did Henna for an engagement party. Pre-engagement Henna has been a custom in my family as well as the Indian culture as a whole, and I really enjoyed this opportunity to showcase my skills for such a honored tradition. For me, this engagement party was also an introduction to more complicated designs, and I look forward to more events like this one in the future.
“When my fiance’s mother asked me if I would be interested in decorating my hands with henna for my engagement, I wasn’t really sure about what to expect but I was pleasantly surprised.
Niyathi decorated both my hands with henna with intricate patterns, a tradition for Indian brides.
On the designated day, she arrived with henna cones and began decorating my hands (which took a total of 2+ hours). She was thoroughly prepared and I realized that she had practiced beforehand in addition to doing a good amount of research on bridal henna patterns. As I chatted with her, I found her to be polite, professional and a dedicated artist.
Niyathi asked me if she could use the pictures of my hands on her website to which I graciously agreed. She did not charge anything for her services, and in addition to decorating my hands, she also decorated my fiance’s sister’s and a friend’s hands who had much simpler yet elegant motifs.
Overall, I would definitely go back to get henna with Niyathi and would also not hesitate to recommend her to friends/family. Henna for Humanity is a portal to spread love and is a wonderful way to simply hang out with friends.”
— Chana Lim