ROANOKE, Va. – You don’t have to travel to India to get a taste of the culture Saturday. Festival of India returns to Roanoke Valley for the 15th year.
Dozens of vendors line Elmwood Park selling savory foods and colorful traditional clothing.
Dancers capture the audience’s attention as children play at the arts and crafts table.
One booth wrote children’s names in different Indian dialects to teach the beauty of people speaking several languages in one country.
Padmaja Mallidi said seeing children’s eyes widen when she explains how India has 29 states and more than 19,000 languages is why she keeps coming back.
“It’s very meaningful because once we know each other better than we can understand each other better,” Mallidi said.
The festival ends at 8 p.m.