Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow enthusiastically embraced Indian culture as she performed bhangra and danced to Bollywood beats at the Gerrard India Bazaar, North America’s oldest and largest Indian market. The 21st annual festival witnessed a record-breaking crowd of over 300,000 people from diverse backgrounds, including Indians, Pakistanis, whites, blacks, and others, in Canada’s most multicultural city.
Spanning seven blocks on Gerrard Street, the festival delighted attendees with two days of food, Bollywood music, dance, and entertainment. Additionally, this year’s event introduced “Cricket Gully” to familiarize Canadians with India’s beloved sport.
Gerrard India Bazaar president Chand Kapoor expressed his delight at the significant non-Indian representation, making the festival a platform for cultural exchange and understanding. With over 300 artists from various ethnic backgrounds performing, the festival celebrated unity in diversity.