HENDERSON (KTNV) — Diwali, also known as the Indian Festival of Lights, is almost here. The annual festival marks the triumph of good over evil and signals the start of a new year in Indian culture.
The holiday is often celebrated with community, dance, and food — and that's exactly what Friends of India Las Vegas plans to do once again. The organization is hosting its annual Diwali celebration at Green Valley Ranch Resort on Saturday, Nov. 2 starting at 3 p.m.
Good Morning Las Vegas anchor Anjali Patel is thrilled to emcee the event for the second year in a row.
Friends of India Las Vegas president Dr. Rajat Sood said he wants to emphasize that everyone is welcome to come and celebrate India's vibrant culture.
"I'm hoping once people come out and attend this, they literally make it an annual rite of passage, if you may, to attend every year, because you will get a great sampling of Indian culture, our costumes, our dance, music, and of course, the yummy food that we have," Dr. Sood said.
Dr. Sood said he wants to engage more people in the community, and that you don't have to have ties to South Asian culture to come. He said it's an opportunity to unite the community and showcase what the holiday is all about — which is togetherness.
"This is not about a closed community doing their own thing," Dr. Sood said. "We are Nevadans at heart, we are Las Vegans at heart, we are Americans at heart."
This year, tickets are only available for purchase online. Click hereto view tickets. They cost $70 for non-members, $50 for annual FOILV members, $40 for lifetime members, and $35 for kids between 6-17 years old. Kids 5 and under get in for free.
And for fans of Bollywood, there's a local opportunity coming up even sooner for you to experience Indian arts and culture and other foreign films. A free Bollywood Hollywood Film Festival is happening on Monday, Oct. 28 in Auditorium 101 at CSN's Charleston Campus. The lineup of screenings includes Hindi, Gujarati, Tamil, Iranian and Turkish films. Seats are limited — to RSVP, text 702-820-8270 or email bhfflv@yahoo.com.
