The India Heritage Society will present the Festival of India this Saturday at Elmwood Park from 4 to 8-PM – back after a year’s hiatus due to the pandemic.
Ssunny Shah with the Heritage Society says India has 29 states; each one will be represented at the Festival on Saturday: “each state has a different language, different cultures, traditions; we are going to bring everything together and showcase at the festival with the delicious foods and colorful costumes.”
“We love to have people that are not Indian come out. That is the purpose of this festival – to create an awareness of our rich heritage,” says Shah. This is the 14th festival he notes. “More and more people are coming every year.””
Admission is free on Saturday, when the Festival of India also welcomes Carilion President and CEO Nancy Agee as the guest of honor. This is the first time the Festival has done that. Shah, a local hotelier, says they will recognize Agee for her leadership during the height of the pandemic – something he says the Roanoke business community was grateful for.
– Gene Marrano
