Join The Celebration At Seattle Center Festál: Diwali: Lights Of India

Transform your cultural awareness at Seattle Center Festál: Diwali: Lights of India, Saturday, noon - 6 p.m. Oct. 20, at Seattle Center Armory. Diwali: Lights of India celebrates light over darkness and good over evil as it highlights Indian presence in our region with live music, dance, visual exploration, authentic foods and goods, workshops, demonstrations and hands-on learning for kids and adults.

Now in its sixth year, this festival showcases the arts and culture of India, adapted from and closely following Diwali, the popular annual autumn celebration in India.

On the Armory Stage, watch classical, folk and contemporary dances of India, along with a cultural attire show featuring Kanchipuram sarees and silks and a presentation on "Gatka," a form of Punjabi martial arts. Newly added is a performance fusing the West African Talking drum with "Nattuvangam," which incorporates abstract vocal syllables into an South Indian classical dance called "Bharatanatyam."

Other activities include: henna tattooing, face painting, clay Ganesha making, flower mandalas, workshops to create your own puppet for a puppet show, turban tying (Sikh style) and temple music by violinist Maestro Ganesh Rajagopalan. Taste the rich and spicy flavors of India with free vegetarian food, Ayurvedic cooking demonstrations and Roti making.

For more information, visit Diwali: Lights of India's Facebook page: www.facebook.com/vccfestivals

Seattle Center Festál brings to light the culturally rich communities who shape the character of our region. Although the series began in 1997, its origins stretch back to when ethnic communities were planting their roots here. For many of them, Seattle Center served as a central place, where they could invite the public to join in their unique cultural expression. Some festivals were formed in response to wars or ethnic displacement and others to unite their communities, educate the public and dispel stereotypes. Now at 21 years, Festál producers are seeking to sustain their festivals with compelling programming that appeals to multiple generations.

Seattle Center Festál is a public program presented by Seattle Center in partnership with Vedic Cultural center Sammamish. Admission is free-of-charge. For more information on this festival, visit facebook.com/vccfestivals, and to learn more about this collection of ethnic cultural events and other Seattle Center public programming, visit www.seattlecenter.com or call 206-684-7200.

About Seattle Center Festál

This illuminating series of 23 ethnic cultural festivals on weekends throughout the year seeks to connect people in ways that build understanding, dispel stereotypes and generate pride among the generations who participate in these shared experiences. Seattle Center Festál is produced with the generous support of KUOW 94.9 Public Radio, Coca-Cola, Alaska Airlines, T-Mobile, 4Culture. the City of Seattle and Seattle Center Foundation.

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