More than 20,000 Sikhs in northeast Calgary came together to celebrate a special holiday Saturday marking the birth of their religion.
The celebration also gathered donations for the Calgary Interfaith Food Bank.
The event is called a Nagar Kirtan, which means "community hymns."
Children and adults followed that spirit by singing hymns, sharing food and marching down Martindale Boulevard wearing colourful, traditional clothes.
For 14-year-old Harpreet Singh Badesha it's more than just a religious holiday.
"Today is the day of our culture's birth.... It's like my birthday today," he said.
Parade marchers also collected food and donations for the Calgary Interfaith Food Bank. This year they hope to raise $20,000 worth of food and cash donations.
The Walking Away Hunger campaign was started by a Sikh youth group six years ago and has raised more than $150,000 for the food bank.