A colorful week of celebration kicks off Monday with an all-new cultural festival in the city of Detroit.
Diwali in the D celebrates the South Asian Festival of Lights, and free events will take place from Oct. 20-25 at multiple venues, including Momo Cha, Detroit Shipping Co., The Social Brews, Detroit’s Chinatown District, Minus 320 Coffee and more, with cultural performances, food, art, and interactive experiences designed to bring the community together.
The event series is supported by Shanti Foundation, a local nonprofit founded and run by Surab Deb.
“I launched (the foundation) last year,” Deb said, “but prior to that, I’ve been running an event production company called Shanti Agency for 15 or 20 years now. With the Shanti Agency, I do curated South Asian events. The premise is basically to support South Asian creatives throughout North America by creating a platform for them here locally, while also educating people outside of our culture on who we are and what our community is about, through performing arts, culinary, science and things of that nature.
“I have been wanting to do a Diwali event in Detroit for over a decade; I just didn’t have the necessary resources to put everything together. Then, I connected with Detroit Shipping Company and The Social Brews. I do an annual Chutney Festival in Royal Oak, which is a South Asian/West Indian street food festival. So they reached out and tapped me to say, ‘This is what we’re thinking about doing, and we’d love to make this into a series. Are you interested in being involved?’ And I jumped at the chance of that.”
The weeklong series will begin at 6 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 20, at Detroit Shipping Co. (474 Peterboro St.) with an opening night celebration, a dua lighting ceremony at dusk, live DJs, a Lions watch party and more. (Admission is free, but pre-registration is recommended.)
Dance parties, a night market, a blessing of the dogs and more are planned for the week, including live cultural performances showcasing music and theater, traditional food and drink specials with modern twists, Henna tattooing, community art activations, family-friendly activities, and workshops and demonstrations designed to introduce Diwali traditions to new audiences.
“I’m first generation – my family came here from India, and I was born and raised in metro Detroit,” said Deb. “I would hope that people outside of our community would like to come so they could learn more about us as a people and what makes us so beautiful as a community. We’re very welcoming and loving. We accept everyone; we just ask that they come with an open mind and be respectful of our traditions.
“Diwali is a time of new beginnings and unity, and we’re excited to share those traditions with the entire Detroit community. This festival is not just for South Asians – it’s a celebration for everyone to experience the joy, colors and culture of Diwali.”
For more information, visit instagram.com/diwaliinthed.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: New Diwali in the D festival celebrates South Asian Festival of Lights
Reporting by Duante Beddingfield, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
