500 FESTIVAL PARADE: A COLORFUL TAPESTRY OF PAGEANTRY,
HOOSIER SPIRIT, AND FAMILY FUN
Los Angeles, June 02, 2023
NRIpress.club/ KP Singh/ Ramesh/ A.Gary Singh Grewal
As participants in the 2023 AES 500 Festival Parade's Nationalities' Council of Indiana Unit, we saw only a few glimpses of the several dozen floats - giant balloons, marching bands, 33 Race Drivers, celebrities, vintage cars, motorcycles, horses, Chinese dragons, banners, over 200,000 strong live audience of Parade fans and enthusiastic spectators. We waved and heard robust applause as we passed by and occasionally someone shouting the names of familiar friends from the stands. We do get to interact with people of various nationalities prior to the beginning of the Parade. Many of them like me have been participating for the past 13 years in the Parade. It was another joyous annual reunion at St. Joseph and Pennsylvania Streets. It was the photo-exchange and over an hour to meet and greet and group photos as memories to share. We were happy to see Afghani, Burmese, Tibetans, and Ukrainian friends among the 25 nationalities represented in the NCI Unit. As always Asian Indians and Hoosier Sikhs were a delightful Presence 2023 500 Festival Parade.
At the end of the Parade, I asked my friends to share one word or maybe a significant highlight of the 2023 Festival Parade. They came up with these words and thoughts:
MARVELOUS, COLORFUL AND VIBRANT, CULTURAL DIVERSITY,
ETHNIC TRADITIONS AND EXOTIC FASHIONS, INCREDIBLE VITALITY,
INTERNATIONAL INDIANA - AN OPPORTUNITY TO MEET, GREET, AND CONNECT.
I would add a few more highlights to this thoughtful list:
A TESTIMONY OF HOOSIER PRIDE, A SPECTACLE OF CREATIVITY AND CULTURAL ASSETS, A FRIENDSHIP EXCHANGE, A JOYOUS SPIRIT OF THE SPECTATORS, A MAGNIFICENT AND DISCIPLINED COMMUNITY MELA, GIANT LEAPS IN INNOVATION, CELEBRATION, AND LETTING THE WORLD INTO THE HOOSIER HEARTLAND, APPRECIATION OF NEW TRADITIONS AND PIONEERING ENERGY AS THE NEW HOOSIERS MAINSTREAM
THEIR GIFTS AND PRESENCE.
What was missing and that can be easily added by the 500 Festival:
A GIANT DELICIOUS COMMUNITY BUFFET AT THE END OF THE PARADE with rocking music and let the world know INDIANA as a special destination where there is joyful noise and feasting after a 500-Festival Parade with all participants creating a tradition with dancing, celebrating our blessings and a special moment as we get ready for the 500-Mile Race, the Greatest Spectacle in Racing, the next day at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
KP Singh (KP Singh Designs) - Indianapolis, Indiana USA
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