ROANOKE, Va. (WFXR) — Elmwood Park was transformed on Saturday in honor of the annual Festival of India.
The festival lasted four hours and featured numerous Indian vendors, food and dancing.
The Indian Heritage Society has been organizing the event annually since 2007 and says they love seeing how it brings the Roanoke community together.
Several local representatives and city council members attended the festivities. Democratic Rep. Sam Rasoul helped raise the American and Native American flags, and several others spoke to the thousands in attendance.
“The Festival of India is always a beautiful celebration of colors, people, dress and food,” said Joe Cobb, Roanoke Vice Mayor.
The city is home to over 100 different nationalities and the festival highlights the diversity of the region.
This is done, among other things, by introducing the community to Indian cuisine, with dozens of stalls serving authentic dishes.
The food represented 15 different Indian states and is one of the biggest attractions for the visitors.
“People love the Indian dance and the food,” said Sunny Shah, a board member of the India Heritage Society. “The food is street food from all over the country. And this year, most of the items are things you can’t find in restaurants.”
In addition to the food, there was non-stop music and dancing in the Elmwood Amphitheater and numerous vendors selling everything from henna tattoos to local crafts and clothing.
The event only takes place one day a year, but is expected to return in 2025.
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