15th Punjabi American Festival draws large crowds

Yuba College students on Charkha

YUBA CITY, CA: The Yuba Sutter Fairgrounds gave an impression of being in Punjab. The weather was mild with the stage beautifully decorated in red, white and blue and thousands of people dressed in colorful, traditional Punjabi clothes. The ladies donned shiny salvar kameez and men attired in bright turbans contributed to the colorful festival landscape.

The festival attracted large crowds from all over California, not just Punjabis, but also many people from the mainstream community.   Everyone in attendance experienced Punjabi American heritage, including music, dance, food and educational documentaries. There were 50 plus booths offering health screenings, arts, books, food, jewelry and clothing.

On the main stage performances by children and adults ranged from age three to 60's. This event started with US National Anthem and a Sikh Devotional song (Shabad) and proceeded with about 250 participants from different schools, colleges and universities performing throughout the day.

The event culminated with performances by artists from India including Davinder Deol, Gurlej Akhtar, Rana Ranbir, Jelly Jarnail Singh and Ravinder Singh Grewal. The festival ended at sunset.

Highlights of the event included Bhangra by B2B (Born to Bhangra),  a group of non-Punjabi (white) ladies from Yuba City and a co-ed Bhangra team from University of California, Davis (UCD Davis Dee Dynasty).

 There were three documentaries shown which included Cultural Safari, Selfless Service (based on autobiography of Bhagat Puran Singh) and Monument of Injustice: Autobiography of Maharaja Dulip Singh.  Six students from high schools in Yuba-Sutter Counties were awarded scholarships for their academic and overall achievements (Harjit Singh, Rajdeep K. Sangha, Mundeep Purewal, Thaleena Purewal, Mundeep Heir, and Jasbir Kaur). 

Five prominent personalities which were honored at the event included Mrs. Pushpinder Kaur and Dr Gurinderpal Singh who developed curriculum to teach Punjabi Heritage and founded the first Khalsa Punjabi Sunday School in San Jose 20 years ago; Mrs. Mirin Kaur, President of SALDEF from Washington DC for production of Cultural Safari; Mukhtiar Bains for founding/implementing the Prabh Bains Basketball Foundation; and Mrs Bhira Baukhaus from Phoenix, Arizona for documenting/preserving the immigrant experience in her well received novel Under the Lemon Trees.

Guests included many elected officials including assemblyman Dan Logue, Vice Mayor Kash Gill, Councilman Tejinder S Mann, Supervisors Jim Whitker and Dan Cleaveland, CEO of Fremont Rideout Health Group Terri Hamilton and many other.