The Indian community is disappointed their annual Diwali Festival has been cancelled in favour of providing parking space for the Rugby World Cup fanzone.From the Christchurch Mail 5 October (not readily online, but snipped below).
This is the first year since the annual event started five years ago it will not go ahead.
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The council offered event organizers an alternative area in Hagley Park but it carried sound restrictions which would prevent key parts of the event going ahead.
Christchurch Indian Social and Cultural Club vice-president Thomas Kurian said last year's festival accommodated "heaps and heaps of people - more than we expected".
He said the cancellation was a disappointment for the Indian community. North Hagley was the third venue to be lost at the last minute.
"We are very disappointed but don't have much choice in the matter. Because of the number of people we had last year, we have no other options for space left," he said.
Everything had been organised including the attendance of a 16-person international dance troupe from India.
Last year's event in Victoria Square was well attended; this report says 12,000. If they'd had that kind of turnout, there aren't many venues in Christchurch that could accommodate; last minute venue changes for events that size don't work out well.
But I suppose it's also important to have parking spaces for those for whom watching the rugby at home or at a bar just isn't enough.
Diwali is the Festival of Lights, a celebration of the triumph of good over evil. We were looking forward to bringing the kids.
By ABBIE NAPIER
Christchurch Mail
5 Oct 2011
THE INDIAN community is disappointed their annual Diwali Festival has been cancelled in favour of providing parking space for the Rugby World Cup fanzone. This is the first year since the annual event started five years ago it will not go ahead. It...read more...
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