It’s a celebration of culture and community. Naperville’s India Day Parade has become an August tradition, this year making its 10th appearance in town.
Hosted by Indian Community Outreach (ICO), the parade got its start in 2015, at that time marking the 68th anniversary of India’s independence from British rule. It was the first India Day Parade of its kind in the Chicagoland suburbs.
Initial parade championed by former mayor George Pradel
Since 2008, the city had hosted an annual flag ceremony at City Hall to celebrate India’s Independence Day, with an expanded celebration in Central Park in 2014, a year prior to the parade’s launch.
The parade was championed by former Naperville mayor George Pradel, who served as its first marshal
“We are a group of volunteers,” said Krishna Bansal, Chairman and President of Indian Community Outreach. “This is an outreach program that we started 11 years back with Mayor Pradel, and Mayor Pradel was the one who encouraged to have this parade and everything, and I was like ‘yeah, let’s do it, mayor.’”
The event is a labor of love for those behind the scenes, working for free.
“We have an army of volunteers working day and night for months since we don’t use the outside companies on this: except for some vendors, we do everything ourselves. So it is a great community effort that helps bring this together. And we keep it free for people – we raise money from sponsorship,” said Bansal
Naperville’s India Day Parade 2024
The 2024 parade, kicking off from Naperville North High School and winding to downtown, saw entries from a number of area groups, performers, and businesses proud to share a bit of their culture.
It was followed by a celebration on Rotary Hill where the festivities and flavors of India were on full display.
Bansal says it has now grown to be one of the largest Indian-American events in the country.
“And we just keep it free for everyone,” Bansal said. “We want everyone to come and enjoy, learn about us, enjoy the culture, enjoy the food, have fun, and we are looking to take it to 2025, that’s what we are rooting for.”
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