The Pakistan Day Parade New Jersey will be held this year on Sunday, Aug. 21 at Papaianni Park, 100 Municipal Blvd., Edison.
The celebration, which will run from noon to 8:30 p.m., will be highlighted by a flag raising ceremony at 3 p.m. and the parade, which is set to step off at 4:30 p.m.
Throughout the day, there will be music and dance performances, cultural exhibitions, vendor stalls, and programs for children such as a magic show, kite flying, face painting, and balloons.
Food vendors will serve an array of Pakistani sweets and delicacies including falooda/kulfi, samosas, biryani, and chai. From 12:30 to 2:30 p.m., there will be free halwa puri. There will be clothing and jewelry vendors on site, too.
After the parade, there will be performances by Sherjan Ahmad, Ustad Ashiq Ali Mir and Naeem Abbas.
Hosted by the Pakistan American Council and Day Parade Committee, the event will commemorate the 76th Independence Day of Pakistan.
According to event representative Hannan Arshad, “The initial intention of this parade was to ensure that our youth can retain their connection with their roots through, fashion, cuisine, dialect, traditions, entertainment, culture, folklore, and more. However, we also want this parade to embody where those roots have branched off.
“This mentality enables us to have youth groups like Rutgers and NJIT PSA (Pakistani Student Associations) declare that for the first time that not only will they be there, but also will promote also our event to demographics that feel unseen in cultural shows and events that tend to skew towards only older generations.”
Arshad said, “This parade is one we pride ourselves on being inclusive to all communities to come and enjoy with us, not just those who are Pakistani.”
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