ROANOKE, Virginia.WFXR) – Get ready to experience a vibrant weekend full of amazing culturally rich music, food and activities during the Festival of India bee Elmwood Park in Roanoke on August 17.
The festival is this Saturday from 4pm to 8pm and admission is free. Sunny Shah and Kamlesh Jhaveri with the Association for Indian Heritage joined WFXR News and explained that the event is in its 17th yearand year and celebrates a number of things including India’s Independence Day.
“This is a fun, free family event with lots of entertainment. We are also celebrating India’s Independence Day, which is today,” Sunny said. “We will be sharing our culture, heritage, music, dance culture, henna tattoos, henna paintings, duality and of course our delicious food.”
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Sunny says that there will be Indian street food from all over the festival and that this is the best way to experience India if you can’t travel abroad. You can experience it right here in the Roanoke Valley.
Kamlesh explained that his favorite part of this year’s festival is the STEM theme, based on India’s old And modern contribute to science, technology, engineering and mathematics. They raise money for local charities, including the Red Cross, RAM houseand the Rescue mission.
The food will feature flavors from different parts of India. Devki Patel told WFXR about Korma and Chicken Curry from North India. Lentil Soup and Biryani from South India. She said Samosa is found all over India.
Devki said that if you normally don’t like spicy food but still want to try Indian cuisine, you can combine one type of food with another.
“You can combine the curry with the nun and it balances out the flavors and you know we have different intensities of flavors,” Devki said. “You can serve it mild, medium, things like that.”
If you’re new to Indian food, Devki says one of the most popular dishes in America is Samosa, which is an absolute must-try.
After eating the delicious food, you can enjoy dancing and other entertainment. Pooja Patel explained how the 28 different states in India each have almost their own distinct subcultures, including different dances that are showcased at the festival.
If you want to experience the great culture of Roanoke, make sure you enjoy all that the Festival of India has to offer this coming Saturday!
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