Tuesday, October 28, 2014: Preparations for the 35th annual Nagar Kirtan Sikh Festival have kicked into high gear as local agencies prepare for an influx of people that will about double the population of the city.
The event, which commemorates the receiving by Sikhs of their Holy Scripture, the Siri Guru Granth Sahib, has become an international calling card for the region, attracting about 80,000 people from across the globe to Yuba-Sutter.
The influx of people changes the layout of parts of the city. Streets will be closed and a special bus service will shuttle attendees to and from the Sikh Temple Gurdwara (see breakout for more details).
"Other cities have similar parades and activities, but none of them are to this magnitude," said Kash Gill, Yuba City mayor.
"It's one weekend where everyone can come together, lend a helping hand and participate in one of the largest festivals in the United States."
And this year, organizers are hoping for the biggest festival yet, said Tejinder Dosanjh, spokesman for the Sikh Temple.
It's an expectation bolstered by several new additions. Dosanjh is expecting about 35 floats for the Guru Gadee Nagar Kirtan 35th annual Sikh Parade, which is the main event of the weekend. Last year, there were about 20.
Volunteers are preparing the float that will carry the Guru Granth Sahib along the 4.5-mile parade loop.
• The weekend will feature a new event — the screening of the documentary "Waking in Oak Creek," which chronicles the aftermath of the tragic shooting at the Sikh Temple in Oak Creek, Wis., which killed six people.
"Showing the movie will give us more awakening about how that community feels about the incident and how they are collectively together after it," Dosanjh said. "We can't dream of anything like that happening here. We are all together and understand each other's culture."
The event will also feature several speakers from local government and law enforcement, including Sutter County Sheriff J. Paul Parker and Sutter County Supervisor Jim Whiteaker. Pardeep Kaleka, the president of the Wisconsin Sikh Temple, will also be in attendance.
Screenings of the film will start at 2 p.m. on Saturday at Dasmesh Hall.
• The weekend will also be the unveiling of the new Mata Gujri Rose Garden at the temple.
Mata Gujri was the mother of the 10th and last human Sikh guru, Guru Gobind Singh. She was also the wife of the ninth guru, Guru Tegh Bahadur.
Almost 750 roses were planted in the new garden, Dosanjh said.
Your Guide To Navigating This Year’s Festivities
The route: The parade begins at 11 a.m. and follows a route from the Sikh Temple on Tierra Buena Road to Butte House Road. From there it turns down Civic Center Boulevard, heads to Poole Boulevard and comes back up Tharp Road before returning to the temple.
Parking: Event parking is at River Valley High School with shuttle service to and from the temple with a drop off at Hooper Road and True Road. The service will run from 8 a.m.-6 p.m.
Yuba-Sutter Transit will provide 25 buses. Transit manager Keith Martin advised attendees to get to the parking lot early, as the bus service is well attended. About 15,000 people rode the buses last year.
A round-trip ticket is $2. The temple has purchased a supply of those tickets. They will be provided at the shuttle site, Martin said.
Traffic: Drivers should expect heavy traffic congestion and some streets will be closed to through traffic, according to the Yuba City Police Department.
The neighborhoods primarily affected are north of Colusa Avenue to Pease Road and east of Royo Ranchero to Civic Center Boulevard.
Closures and areas to avoid:
• Colusa frontage road east of George Washington Boulevard: Closed east and west bound.
• Butte House Road from Hooper Road to Tharp Road: Closed.
• Tierra Buena Road from Butte House Road to Pease Road: Closed.
• Harter Parkway north of Colusa Highway - bus traffic only. No Walmart access: Use Tharp Road.
Preferred access routes in and out of the event area:
• Use Western Parkway and North George Washington Boulevard from the south to enter the Royo Ranchero area and neighborhoods west of Harter Parkway.
• Butte House Road east from North Township Road is also a preferred access route to the area west of Tierra Buena Road.
The Yuba City Police Department is asking for people to use the following routes into affected neighborhoods as other entry points will be closed to traffic and police will screen for appropriate access.
• Jefferson Drive at Stonegate Drive: Screening for residents — only eastbound traffic.
• Butte House Road east of Royo Ranchero Road: Screening eastbound traffic.
Residents in areas affected by traffic control checkpoints should obtain passes from the Yuba City Police Department prior to Thursday.
For more information, call the traffic unit at 822-4795.
CONTACT reporter Andrew Creasey at 749-4780 and on Twitter @AD_Creasey.