By Pam Wright
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Spring has sprung and with it comes the return of the Chatham-Kent Asian Cultural Association’s Spring Music & Food Festival on April 29.
Open to everyone, the event will be held at the Chatham W.I.S.H. Centre beginning at 5:30 p.m.
According to organizer Maru Lakshmanan, spring is special to the Indian community and is marked around the world with names such as Baisaki, Puthand, Vishu, Pohela and Pana Sankaranthi.
The festival signals a new beginning, Lakshmanan said, getting it back on track after it being on hold due of the pandemic.
“Everyone knows in the past two years; we couldn’t do anything,” he said. “The CK association would like to do something to break that and we want to celebrate spring events.”
Founded in 1999, the association now has around 600 members who hail from international Asian communities. Most community members are from Sub Himalayan (South Asian) countries, with an increasing number from the Middle East. The group includes the CK Muslim community, the CK Hindu community, the CK Sikh community, the CK Malayalee community and the CK Nepali community, among others.
Lakshmanan said that Chatham is a place for new immigrants to start their life in Canada and the festival is a great way to network.
“With this community event, we are connecting everyone with a way to meet and get to know each other,” he added.
Lakshmanan said many Asian people have started businesses in the region and increasingly, students are coming to Chatham-Kent to attend St. Clair College.
The CKACA supports the community in a variety of ways donating to various agencies such as the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance and the Chatham-Kent Hospice and it also hosts annual events such as the Diwali Festival.
Tickets for the Spring Festival are $20 for adults, $15 for college students and $10 for Grades 6-12. Children in Grade 5 and under are free.
For more information call 519-380-5973. Dinner will be served at 5:30 p.m.
