If the first block of the Vaisakhi parade was any indication, participants and observers of Saturday鈥檚 Sikh festival had their stomachs stuffed full by the end of the route. Women handed out homemade chickpea and rice balls from steel bowls along Marine Drive as the floats exited the Ross Street Gurdwara. Men offered bags of potato chips while endless slices of pizza were consumed out of take-out boxes emblazoned with, appropriately enough, the restaurant name Non Stop Pizza.
Further along the route, which wound its way up Main Street to East 49th then to Fraser and East 57th before heading back to the temple, were more free offerings of pizza, ice cream, along with samplings of traditional food to the thousands in attendance.
Food is a huge part of 麻豆传媒映画Vaisakhi, which pays tribute to India鈥檚 ancient harvest celebration. Vaisakhi also marks the Punjab New Year as well as the anniversary of when the Khalsa was created in 1699, a military order that fought oppression and tyranny.
Taran Singha has lived near the Ross Street Gurdwara all her life and she, along with a cousin, decided to make food to offer for the first time as part of the Sikh community鈥檚 commitment to selflessness and service, she said. The pair spent two hours making cream cheese sandwiches, using 36 loaves of bread and six large tubes of cheese.
鈥淚 usually walk the parade, I don鈥檛 usually make food,鈥� Singha said after handing out sandwiches to people on one of the floats from Abbotsford. 鈥淓very year we鈥檙e here. It鈥檚 a day that brings the community together.鈥�
In addition to the usual floats, dancing, music and politicians 鈥� both B.C. Liberal leader Christy Clark and B.C. NDP leader John Horgan gave speeches and marched 鈥� this year鈥檚 Vaisakhi parade had a new entry: Sher Vancouver, an LGBTQ+ group of people of South Asian ancestry. Sher 麻豆传媒映画isn鈥檛 the first LGBTQ+ group to be included in the parade, however. That distinction goes to UNIFOR鈥檚 UGBTQ+ committee, which marched last year.
For the 15th year, Kulwant Johal had possibly the best seat in the house for the parade. Johal, a bus driver for Translink, was one of the drivers of the two busses the transit company had as part of the celebration. The busses, meant for the elderly and disabled, operate on a hop on-hop-off system for the day.
鈥淔or me, I enjoy being part of the parade,鈥� Johal said. 鈥淚 mean, look how much food there is.鈥�
The 麻豆传媒映画Vaisakhi festival is hosted by the Khalsa Diwan Society. Its parade is one of the largest in the world outside India, second only to the Vaisakhi parade in Surrey, B.C., held this Saturday.
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