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Diwali festival returns to North Delta Recreation Centre

The free event will allow residents to celebrate the festival of lights with crafts and performances
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Rangoli designs are worked on by a number of different people at the 2017 Diwali celebration at North Delta Rec Centre. (Grace Kennedy photo)

This November, North Delta will be home to the city’s fourth annual festival of lights.

The annual Diwali festival, taking place this year at the North Delta Recreation Centre on Nov. 3, is an opportunity for residents to celebrate the Hindu festival, and learn a little more about the traditions associated with it.

Last year, the event only saw around 60 people attend — a much lower number than the organizers had been hoping for.

To help bring up the numbers for this year’s event, the Diwali festival will see a few changes — although many favourite activities will be returning to the rec centre.

Arts and crafts were a big hit in past years, especially painting diyas, a small oil lamp used in festivals like Diwali. Those crafts will be returning for the 2018 festival, as will the food offerings: sweets, chai tea and samosas are sure to be on the menu.

Back again for 2018 are dance performances, this year with the Shan-E-Punjab Arts Club doing two seven-minute performances and one workshop over the course of the event. The Surrey-based dance school focuses on Bhangra and Giddha dance styles, and has won awards in competitions across North America.

New this year will be a turban tying workshop, for anyone who wants to learn more about the process.

This year will also feature a new partnership between the City of Delta and the George Mackie Library. According to parks, recreation and culture programmer Lisa Doepker, the Diwali festival is meant to be a community event and the library is excellent at “promoting and reaching another audience.”

The hope is that, with the library’s help, the Diwali festival could see a couple hundred attendees ready to celebrate and explore the festival of lights.

The event will run from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 3. Admission is free.



grace.kennedy@northdeltareporter.com

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South Asian Arts taught three banghra workshops at the Diwali festival on Sunday, Oct. 15, 2017. (Grace Kennedy)