Colourful diyas and rangolis as Diwali Vancouver lights up downtown, October 27

Foodtrucks, music, and a market at the Roundhouse, with additional events in Coquitlam on October 18 and in Surrey on October 20

CELEBRATED AROUND THE globe, Diwali is the largest, brightest, and most popular event in the Indian calendar.

The theme for 2024 is “An Ode to Nature”, with many customs and rituals including plants, reflecting the festival’s synergy with the natural world.

Vancouverites can celebrate the Festival of Lights on October 27 from 2 to 5 pm at Diwali Downtown Vancouver at the Roundhouse Community Arts & Recreation Centre, with an event full of South Asian music and dance performances, plus a festive Diwali market and foodtrucks.

Don’t miss the Roundhouse fest’s signature painting events: try your hand at colourful rangolis, drawn from the art of floor and entrance decoration made of sand or powder on floors and entrances of homes to bring good luck; or create artful Diyas, based on the little clay lamps lit around the house to welcome the festive spirits.

Elsewhere in poster-art activities, the event pays tribute to the vibrant marine life native to both the Indian and Pacific Ocean, playing on bright colours and patterns, fluorescence and bioluminescence—bringing to mind the universal light of Diwali. The word diwali means “row of lighted lamps”, with light symbolizing the triumph of good over evil, prosperity over poverty, and knowledge over ignorance.

Diwali Fest is also being celebrated in Coquitlam on October 18 from 6 to 8 pm at Town Centre Park Community Centre; and in Surrey on October 20 from 2 to 5 pm at Surrey City Hall.

Dance, music, and storytelling are also integral parts of the celebrations and will be offered at all three local events produced by the Diwali Celebration Society.

In Coquitlam, Keerat Kaur has designed poster art depicting heavenly bodies as well as birds native to India and Canada. In Surrey, there will be a reading of “Henna is…” by artist and illustrator Anu Chouhan, a picture book about the traditional plant-based form of temporary tattoo popular in South Asian cultural celebrations. There, poster art will pay tribute to the flora, fauna, and forest dwellers native to the Indian subcontinent. And in Vancouver, poster art will feature marine life native to the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean.

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Gail Johnson

Gail Johnson is cofounder of Stir. She is a Vancouver-based journalist who has earned local and national nominations and awards for her work. She is a certified Gladue Report writer via Indigenous Perspectives Society in partnership with Royal Roads University and is a member of a judging panel for top Vancouver restaurants.

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