The Federation of Indian Associations is again organizing the grand mela and parade on August 15th 2010 (Sunday) at 39439 Paseo Padre Parkway, Fremont, CA, 94536 (Corner of Paseo Padre and Walnut Ave). The Festival of India Banquet Night would be held at San Ramon Marriott.
The booth price at the festival ranges from $550 for a non-profit to Corporate for $5,000. This big festival in the San Fransisco Bay Area, California, showcases and shares India’s rich culture and heritage through various events. Over 120 booths will feature Indian arts and crafts, Indian clothes, jewelry, food, and more. The parade is a work of art featuring 15 floats representing different states of India, the Indian-American community and businesses organizations. The grand carnival will feature Bollywood star Aftab Shivdasani and Bollywood Singer Arpita Mukerjee who will serve as Grand Marshals leading the parade. Parade assembly is at 12 noon sharp, with entertainment and shows set to commence at 2 p.m., continuing throughout the day.
- For Parade, participants will line up on Capitol Avenue and proceed along Liberty Street onto Walnut Avenue.
Parade Route - COST: $5 general entrance. The health fair and Sunday’s parade are free. The tickets can be purchased at the gate for $5. Entry tickets need to be purchased separately for Saturday, August 14th, 2010 and Sunday, August 15th, 2010. Tickets will be valid for the day purchased only and need to be exchanged to wrist bands at the “On-line” ticketing window near the mela entrance. If you bought a $4 ticket online prior to Aug 13, get an printed email confirmation.
- Festival kicks off at 10 a.m. Saturday with a free health fair that includes consultations with more than 100 doctors and nurses
- It costs about $250,000 to hold the two-day festival, the Bay Area’s largest Indo-American celebration
- Organizers had to cancel the 2008 parade because of a lack of funds
- Festival of India became an instant success when it started in 1992
- More than 50,000 visitors expected to central Fremont
- Celebrations will begin Friday, August 13 with an official flag raising ceremony at San Jose’ City Hall at 6:30 p.m
- Parking available in neighboring commercial lots. See Parking Map for the Independence Day Festival in Fremont here. Parking Map 2010 Festival of India Fremont(courtesy fiaonline.org)
There will also be a Free Health Fair (10:00 am – 01:00 pm), Dance Competition, Kids Corner, Mela on Sat, August 14, 11am – 7pm at Fremont Hall of Justice Parking Lot at corner of Paseo Padre and Walnut Ave.
Dance Competition Entry Form Deadline is Fri, August 6, 11:30pm – Sat, August 7, 12:00am. The form can be accessed here.
2010 Grand Marshal is Aftab Shivdasani. Last year it was Mauli Dave (Singer)
Chief Guests this year are Jeevika Shah, Mrs. India 2004 and Arpita Mukerjee, Bollywood Singer
Indian Musical Extravaganza with SaReGaMaPa Finalist Mauli Dave
Time 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Location: Festival Mela Stage
Festival of India Banquet Night
Place: San Ramon Marriott
Time: 8:00 pm
Music, DJ and Sumptuous Indian Dinner
FIA Members: Free
Tickets: $50/Person
Saturday, Aug 14, 2010
Free Health Fair
10:00 am – 01:00 pm
Mela (Fair)
10:00 am – 07:00 pm
Dance Competition
11:00 am – 05:00 pm
Dance Competition/Awards
05:00 pm – 06:00 pm
Sunday, Aug 15, 2010
Mela (Fair)
10:00 am – 07:00 pm
Cultural Program
11:00 am – 12:00 Noon
Parade
12:00 Noon – 2:00 pm
More details to follow…
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Global Indian Technology Professional’s Association (GITPRO) is also celebrating India’s Independence Day (and its own Anniversary) as a free event on Sunday, August 15, 2010, 5:15-7:15 pm at Washington Park Hall, 840 W Washington Ave, Sunnyvale, California.
High Lights:
1. Journey and the Role of Indian Entrepreneurs in USA/India
2. 1857 the First War of Independence
3. Hindi Patriotic Songs Cultural Program
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Sunnyvale Hindu Temple – Cultural Event on the occasion of Independence of India
By Mile Sur Mera Tumhara Group
Sunday 15th Aug, 2010 4:00PM – 6:30PM
(Free & Snacks will be served)
Also, there would be a Hasya Kavi Sammelan by famous humorous Poets from India on Saturday 14th August 2010 8:00PM (its a ticketed event)
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Celebrating Independence Day of India, Big Cinemas will be screening a number of popular Bollywood movies free for cine lovers across the US.
Movies like ‘Rang De Basanti’, ‘Lage Raho Munnabhai’, ‘3 Idiots’, ‘Chak De India’, ‘Namaste London’, ‘Rock On’, ‘Sivaji’, ‘Dasavatharam’, and ‘Indian’ have been lined up for screening in 11 theaters for the week long ‘Spirit of my Tiraga’ beginning August 7.
BIG Cinemas is also the in-cinema partner for India Day Parade Fremont.
It was somewhat embarassing when last year on 15th August we saw small planes over the Fremont festival ground with tail-advertisements that were pretty anti-India, and claimed that Indian government commits atrocities on minorities and stuff like that.
Freedom of expression is good, but someone in FIA should at least make an attempt to stop this. Celebrations with floats and stalls and dances is one thing, but standing by your country to protect its honor is another.
I even heard a sikh gentleman say that people should let bygones by bygones – today PM is a sikh, Planning Commission is run by a sikh, Sports is run by a sikh, and event election commission was run by a sikh. Punjab is peaceful and prosperous. All Indians should feel proud to be Indians, at least on this day, at least when you are far away and live together.
Hope better sense prevails this year!
It was horrifying when the sikhs started throwing shoes at the little kids float! They threw their shoes and also stole the indan flag, right when they were about to burn it, the Hindu Swamsevak Sangh men rescued it. Really does it matter to be a sikh or an african? Sikh live in India, and they destroy Inidia. They should be proud their indian, not emberrased of it.