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TAMPA/PINELLAS PARK/SEFFNER
Gujarati Samaj of Tampa Bay is hosting a Diwali dinner from 5 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 18, at Florida State Fairgrounds, 4800 U.S. 301, Tampa. Bombay Ki Bahar Akshay Tamayche will perform from 8 p.m. onward. The event is free for GSTB members, $50 non-members. For information, call Mukesh Patel at (727) 505-4636.
Sanatan Mandirin Tampa will hold Deepawali Laxmi Puja from 6 p.m. on Nov. 12. Annakut will be the next day from 6:30 to 8 p.m. The mandir is at 311 E. Palm Ave. For information, call (813) 221-4482 or visit www.sanatanmandirtampa.org
Ambaji Mandirat 10991 58th St., in Pinellas Park, will hold Diwali celebration from 5:30 p.m. Nov. 12. New Year Annakut will be from 5:30 p.m. Nov. 14. Dev Diwali will be from 6 on Nov. 26. For more information, call the mandir at (727) 388-6685 or visit www.ambajimandir.com
Laxmi Narayan Mandir,4615 George Road, Tampa, will hold Diwali celebration from 5:30 p.m. Nov. 12. New Year Annakut will be from 5:30 p.m. Nov. 14. Dev Diwali will be from 6 on Nov. 26. For information, call (813) 444-9786.
Hindu Temple of Florida in Tampa will hold its annual Diwali celebrations on Nov. 12 with Lakshmi Pooja at 7 p.m. followed by fireworks for children at 5509 Lynn Road, Tampa. For information, call (813) 962-6890 or visit https://www.htfl.org/
BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandirwill hold Diwali (Chopda Pujan) from 10 a.m. Nov. 12. Kids Diwali celebration will be from 1 p.m. the same day. Annakut/New Year will be on Nov. 13 from noon to 7 p.m. with aarti every hour. Mahaprasad will be served. BAPS is at 9556 E. Fowler Ave. in Thonotosassa. For details, call (813) 986-5473.
Maayboli Melawa Tampa Bay (MMTB), a not-for-profit organization for promoting Marathi culture, will celebrate Diwali from 5 p.m. on Nov. 18 at St. Joseph Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, 5501 Williams Road, Seffner. MMTB members are free; non-members pay $30. For more information, visit www.mmtbusa.org
SOUTH FLORIDA
FORT LAUDERDALE: The Indian Regional and Cultural Center will hold its Diwali festivities from noon to 10 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 18, at Broward County Convention Center, 1950 Eisenhower Blvd., Fort Lauderdale. The program will include music and dance performances, including bhangra, Bollywood, folk dances. Other attractions are food, fashion, jewelry and henna. For tickets and other information, call Sanjay Gupta at (954) 461-4003 or visit www.irccflorida.org
WEST PALM BEACH: And the Palm Beach India Association will hold a Diwali Show from 4 p.m. on Nov. 19 at Hilton Palm Beach Airport, 150 Australian Ave., West Palm Beach. The eve t is free for members, $75 non-members. For details, visit www.gopbia.org or email [email protected]
BOYNTON BEACH/MIAMI: BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, 541 S.E. 18th Ave.,
Boynton Beach will hold Kids Diwali from 3 p.m. Nov. 11 and Chopda Pujan from 4 on Nov. 12. Annakut Darshan will be on Nov. 13 from noon. For information, call (561) 740 2898.
ORLANDO/CASSELBERRY
Hindu Society of Central Florida (1994 Lake Drive)in Casselberry will celebrate Diwali and Annakut from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 18, with several competitions (some on Nov. 11) and cultural programs, fireworks; parking $10. For information, call (407) 574-1814 or visit www.orlandohindutemple.org
Gujarati Society of Central Florida will hold Diwali Celebration 2023 from 5 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 4, at Caribe Royale, 8101 World Center Drive, Orlando. Festivities include variety of foods, cash bar, musical group from India, kids programs. Cost is $75 for members, $100 non-members. For information, visit www.gujaratisocietycfl.com
JACKSONVILLE/ST. AUGUSTINE
Indian Cultural Society of Jacksonville will hold its Diwali celebration from 2 p.m. on Nov. 18 at The St. Augustine Amphitheatre, 1340C A1A S, St. Augustine. This is a ICS member-only event. There will be food, performances and vendors. For information, email [email protected] or visit www.jaxics.org
Gujarati Samaj of North East Florida will present Patel Brothers Diwali 2023 from 4 p.m. Nov. 11 at Renaissance World Golf Village, 500 S. Legacy Trail, St. Augustine. Local children will present folk and Bollywood performances followed with entertainment by a live group. A buffet-style Punjabi dinner will be served. Tickets are $15 per person (VIP $35), non-members $50 (VIP $70). Purchase tickets at https://gsnef.ticketleap.com/patel-brother-diwali-2023/
BARTOW/WINTER HAVEN/LAKELAND
Bhartiya Samaj of Central Florida will celebrate Diwali at 6 p.m. on Nov. 19 at Bartow Civic Center, 2250 S. Florida Ave., Bartow. For information, call Subhash Patel at (863) 838-0969 or visit www.bscfl.com
Shree Swaminarayan Hindu Temple (ISSO), 2793 New Tampa Highway, Lakeland, will celebrate New Year all day from 6 a.m. Nov. 14. Diwali Annakut will be from 3 to 9 p.m. Nov. 18. Tulsi Vivah will be 2 to 8 p.m. Dec. 2. For information, call (863) 687-4776 or visit www.issolakeland.org
OCALA
India Association Cultural & Educational Center will celebrate Diwali from 6 p.m. Nov. 18 at 2030 N.E. 36th Ave. For details, call (352) 575-1111 or visit indiaocala.org
Strategic Community Alliance will hold Diwali festival from 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. in Citizens’ Circle, downtown Ocala on Nov. 19. The free event will feature Indian dance, music, fashion show, saree experience, trivia quiz; arts and crafts, food vendors. For details, visit https://scacommunities.org/
NAPLES
India Association of Naples will celebrate Diwali with dinner, entertainment and fireworks from 6 to 10 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 18 at Parish Hall, St. Agnes Church, 7775 Vanderbilt Beach Road. Members are discounted at $20 for teens and adults; non-members pay $50 for teens and adults and $20 for kids 6-12 years; advanced ticket purchase required; for details, email [email protected]
MELBOURNE/VIERA (SPACE COAST)
Indian Association of the Space Coast will hold Diwali Night on Nov. 18 at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Community, 5655 Stadium Parkway, Viera. Performers will be Sanjay More and the Rang Rasiya group. For details, call (321) 271-7072 or visit https://myiasc.com/
Disclaimer: Event details are subject to change. Please check with local organizers.
34th ANNUAL TAMPA INDIA FESTIVAL ON NOV. 4
One of the most popular events in the Southeast is back, the 34th annual daylong India Festival organized by the Gujarati Samaj of Tampa Bay. More than 12,000 people are expected to attend the event, says Jyoti Gandhi, Chair, for the India Festival at the Florida State Fairgrounds on Nov. 4 in Tampa.
About 192 booths offering food, a variety of fashion, clothes, financial services, jewelry, arts and crafts, and home décor will be set up in the Expo Hall and just outside the hall. Food vendors will offer a variety of Indian delicacies from samosas, dosa, pav bhaji to chicken tikka, to falooda/Indian-flavored ice cream and, of course, everyone’s favorite chai. In the adjacent Entertainment Hall, performers of all ages will be decked out in traditional attire for four categories of dance competition – garba, raas, folk and bhangra. India Festival dance practice has become a right of passage for manyfamilies, especially in the Bay area. Throughout the hall, several closed-circuit TV monitors will be set up so people can shop and eat while watching the dance performances.
Indian-American communities from Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Melbourne,Daytona Beach, Jacksonville, Gainesville and Ocala among others will be participating in dozens of competitions. Hillsborough County and Tampa City Council members are expected to be in attendance, as in the past years. Tampa Mayor Jane Castor will light the diya for the opening of the fest.
The India Festival will be from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Nov. 4 at the Florida State Fairgrounds, 4800 U.S. 301 N., Tampa. Tickets are $14 for adults; $12 for children 5 to 12 years of age; kids under 5 are free; parking is $13. For information, call Jyoti Gandhi at (727) 534-3767 or visit www.indiafestivaltampabay.com
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