The annual Vaisakhi parade will take place in northeast Calgary Saturday. The free event is hosted by the Sikh community to celebrate a sense of community and equality.
Nagar Kirtan is a colorful procession where some of the participants will sing holy hymns and perform traditional martial arts.
Organizers say they will offer free vegetarian meals to all attendees without distinction of religion, caste, gender, economic status or ethnicity.
Following the parade, there will be a festive event at Prairie Winds Park.
The parade will kick off the event at 10 a.m.; the day’s activities will end at 4 p.m.
There will be free transit city-wide on May 13 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Local traffic will be impacted. From 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, the route of the Nagar Kirtan parade will result in the following lane reductions and road closures:
- Martindale Boulevard N.E. will be closed between Martinbrook Road N.E. and Falconridge Boulevard N.E.
- Falconridge Boulevard N.E. will be reduced to a single northbound lane between Taradale Drive N.E.; Martindale Boulevard N.E. to Castleridge Boulevard N.E.; Falconridge Drive N.E.
- There will be no southbound traffic on Falconridge Boulevard N.E. south of Taracove Estate Drive N.E.
- 64 Avenue N.E. will be closed between Martindale Gate N.E. and Falconridge Boulevard N.E.
- Castleridge Boulevard N.E. will be closed between Falconridge Boulevard N.E. and Westwinds Crescent N.E.
- 54 Avenue N.E. will be closed between Castleridge Boulevard N.E. and Westwinds Drive N.E.