Indian festival of Vaisakhi coming to Goderich

Indian festival Vaisakhi is a vibrant spring festival celebrated by millions around the world.

It marks the beginning of the harvest season and holds special significance for Sikhs, Hindus, and many other cultural communities.

Organized by the Wingham Falcons Cricket Team, and volunteers with the Huron County Immigration Partnership, will host Vaisakhi at Lakeshore United Church on April 13.

The free event will feature food, music, dance and a presentation about the holiday, and what it means to Sikhs, promising to be both a celebration and a learning experience.

Open to all, this family-friendly event will provide an opportunity to connect with the community and celebrate this meaningful tradition together.

Vaisakhi has been a long traditional harvest festival in the Punjab region. On this occasion, Sikh religion started by Sikh’s tenth guru Shri guru Gobind Singh.

The Sikh religion known as Khalsa, represents a commitment to living a life of service, equality and compassion, as taught by the Sikh Gurus.

Vaisakhi is a time for Sikhs to come together, celebrate their faith and reaffirm their commitment to the Khalsa and its teaching.

In Sikh religion the first guru started free kitchen service. In India most Sikh temples provide free food 24 hours to anyone.

“As a Sikh, we learned his teaching and by doing this free event we try to remember his teaching,” said Gurpreet Singh, a volunteer with the Huron County Immigration Partnership.

Gurpreet Singh moved to Canada in 2015 as an international student from India, studying at Conestoga College.

After his studies, Gurpreet moved to Harriston with his friend Harpreet and worked at Circle K for two and a half years.

After receiving an offer, Gurpreet and his friend took over the Lucknow Circle K store in 2019. Since then, Gurpreet has been living in Huron County and running Circle K stores in Wingham, Clinton and Goderich.

“As a newcomer I had a great experience,” admitted Gurpreet.

“Our neighbours welcomed us with greeting cards and desserts. We can’t thank all those people enough who help us to settle in this community.”

While running the Lucknow Circle K, Gurpreet began looking for other options. He started looking into what it would take to become a police officer in Ontario.

Needing volunteer work to add to his resume, Gurpreet became a member of the Wingham Community Connector and began his volunteering journey.

The Wingham Community Connector group hosted many events like Cricket tournaments, Diwali, and Vaisakhi, with support of the township, which has helped with a $5,000 donation to purchase a cricket mat and other supplies.

Gurpreet has also spent time volunteering with Big Brother Big Sister, Habitat for Humanity Restore and tutoring over the years.

Gurpreet got involved with the Huron County Immigration Partnership following a welcoming event for newcomers in Wingham.

Since then, the Immigration Partnership has assisted Gurpreet with many community events such as Diwali, Cricket, and Vaisakhi.

Diwali has been celebrated twice in Wingham, and last year Vaisakhi was celebrated in Wingham.

At Vaisakhi in Goderich, participants will learn about Indian culture and about Sikhism.

“We are going to have Indian foods and dancers who are coming from Brampton to show Bhangra,” explained Gurpreet.

“I am pretty sure people will walk away with new information, and we will help people learn how to wear turbans and how to do Heana.”

According to Gurpreet, the biggest Sikh golden temple has four doors. This means people are welcome from all directions.

Celebrating Vaisakhi in Goderich will provide an opportunity to highlight how we are all human beings, regardless of ethnicity, faith and background. We are all attached to one universe.

“For us, it’s not that we think people aren’t understanding about our culture, but rather we are going to celebrate with friends and family,” said Gurpreet.

“These kinds of events show that we are all human beings doesn’t matter our skin colour is different but at the end we are attached to one universe. Political landscapes will change with time, but what’s not going to change is us. We are all living under one roof.”

It is an event providing an opportunity to learn about the history and cultural significance of Vaisakhi while enjoying delicious Indian food, lively Bhangra dance, music, and an engaging presentation.

Tickets are required as seating is limited. The event on April 13 at Lakeshore United Church will take place from 2 p.m. until 6 p.m.

Please reserve your no-cost tickets at Circle K in Goderich, Clinton and Wingham, or online at https://Goderich-Vaisakhi.eventbrite.ca