Mika to grace India Day Celebration in Naperville

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Bollywood musician Mika Singh will be performing at this year’s India Day celebration and parade in Naperville.

Scheduled for August 13, the festival will start at 11 a.m. at Knoch Park featuring an ethnic Indian bazaar and a fashion show along with food and beverages, the parade will start at Naperville Central High School at 4 p.m. and will run a mile-long stretch.

Ever since it was started in 2015, Naperville’s India Day celebration and parade has been growing in both size and attendance and this year it will join other India Day Parades and Celebrations throughout the country in celebrating India’s 70 years of Independence.

“It’s a different kind of parade, it’s more colorful, and groups decorate floats and bring in dance clubs and display cultures of different regions of India,” said Krishna Bansal, chairman of the Indian Community Outreach organization, who also said that Mika is “one of the top names” and that “you can compare him to any of the big names here.”

Organizers are hoping the event draws a more diverse crowd this year as Bansal mentions that “it’s not just for Indian-Americans; it’s for everyone” who is interested in learning more about the Indian-American culture.

“It’s more about showcasing the Indian-American heritage in our area and showcasing the culture,” he added.

Bansal hopes that just like last year, 80 entries will come in this year for the parade and approximately 200 to 250 volunteers will help prepare and run the event which will end in a fireworks show beginning after 9 p.m. at Knoch Park.

According to the Chicago Tribune, Naperville’s India Day celebration started in 2013 after then-Naperville Mayor George Pradel created the Indian Community Outreach organization which provides education opportunities throughout the year and has helped with working behind the scenes to bring the Patel Brothers grocery store to Naperville.

The Naperville City Council even awarded $36,000 to the Indian Community Outreach out of which $16,637 will be used for the event and $19,363 will be used for other city amenities during the event.