Naperville’s India Day Parade has been canceled, officially canceling the entire India Day Celebration this year.
India Day event canceled after initially being scaled back
Indian Community Outreach Chairman Krishna Bansal announced the cancellation on Monday, following the group’s initial decision to only cancel the day-long festival held on Rotary Hill and the evening concert.
“We were hoping to continue with the parade, but…after talking to our stakeholders, all our participants, and everyone, it was not going to be very feasible,” said Bansal.
The celebration, originally scheduled for Aug. 10, had been scaled back due to the cost of implementing new safety recommendations from city officials, including full park fencing and metal detectors.
ICO hoping to bring full event back next year
However, Bansal said only having a parade, a stark difference from years passed, would make the day feel incomplete.
“Everything comes together, and people look at this event as that they’re coming to spend their entire day [here]. They do a lot of things, a lot of activities. Just for a parade, it didn’t look like we’ll see that kind of turnout, we’ll see that kind of participation,” he said.
He says the ICO is working to bring back the full India Day Celebration next year.
The India Day celebration and parade was started a decade ago, allowing members of the community to celebrate their Indian heritage and others to experience the culture through food, music, and other entertainment.
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