Thousands of people from all over the Central Valley gathered in Selma on Sunday, April 13, for the 20th Annual Sikh Day Parade. The parade was presented by the Sikh Center of the Pacific Coast and was open to Sikhs and non-Sikhs alike. Simran Kaur, advocacy manager for the Sikh Coalition, said the annual parade celebrates the Sikh holiday Vaisakhi, a festival honoring a community of devout and committed Sikhs.
The event started at 10 a.m. Thousands of Sikhs gathered at the Sikh Center of the Pacific Coast on Highland Avenue in brightly colored traditional clothing. Community members mingled, ate free food and drink and shopped at booths selling jewelry and paintings.
At about 10:45 a.m., the parade began. A float carrying the Sikh scripture, the Guru Granth Sahib, led the parade north on Highland Avenue.
Other floats created by individuals, community organizations and youth groups followed, walking through the Selma neighborhoods as police redirected traffic.
A helicopter flew over parade participants and released flower petals onto the streets, as children cheered and held on to orange balloons.
Kaur said parades like Sunday’s are usual ways to celebrate in the Sikh community.
“It’s very common to do these types of parades back in our homeland in India,” Kaur said. “It was just a way for the community to come together and celebrate our identity and our faith.”
The parade ended at around 3 p.m.