Here are some of the communities celebrating the festival of colors in Florida

TAMPA/PINELLAS PARK/SEFFNER
MARCH 15: organized by Gujarati Samaj of Tampa Bay; 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Jennings Middle School, 9325 Governors Run Drive, Seffner; free for GSTB members, $30 for non-members; for information, call Bhavik Modi at (813) 557-4555.

MARCH 16: organized by Maayboli Melawa Tampa Bay (Marathi association); time, venue and details to be finalized; for information, visit www.mmtbusa.org or email [email protected]

MARCH 13: Purnima pooja and Holika Dahan; Shree Raam Mandir, 7411 E. Comanche Ave., Tampa; 7 p.m.; for information, call Angela at (813) 265-3268.

MARCH 13: Satyanarayan katha from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., Holi Ka Dahan from 6:45 to 7:30 p.m., and mahaprasad after aarti; Ambaji Mandir, 10991 58th St., Pinellas Park; call the mandir at (727) 388-6685 or visit www.ambajimandir.com

MARCH 13: Satyanarayan katha from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., Holi Ka Dahan from 6:45 to 7:30 p.m., and mahaprasad after aarti; Laxmi Narayan Mandir, 4615 George Road, Tampa; for information, call (813) 444-9786 or visit www.hindutempletampa.com

LAKELAND/BARTOW
MARCH 13: Holika Dahan; Shree Swaminarayan Hindu Temple (ISSO), 2793 New Tampa Highway, Lakeland; 4 to 8 p.m.; for information, call (863) 529-1146 or visit www.issolakeland.org

MARCH 13: Holika Dahan; organized by Bhartiya Samaj of Central Florida; 7 p.m.; Mary Holland Park, 2015 Shumate Drive, Bartow; for information, visit https://www.bscfl.com

BRADENTON/SARASOTA
MARCH 8: organized by Indian Association of Manasota; Lake Manatee State Park, 20007 FL 64, Bradenton; 1 to 4 p.m.; lunch will be served; members and kids 5 years and younger free; guest adult $30; student $20; for information, visit https://indianassociationofmanasota.com/

ORLANDO/CASSELBERRY
MARCH 13: Hindu Society of Central Florida, 1994 Lake Drive, Casselberry; 6:30 p.m. pooja with Holika Dahan at 7:15 p.m.; for information, call (407) 699-5277 or visit www.orlandohindutemple.org

MARCH 13 and MARCH 23: on March 13, Holika dahan organized by Gujarati Society of Central Florida; 6:30 p.m.; Shree Laxminarayan Mandir, 5020 W. South St., Orlando; free; on March 23, Dhuleti held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Olympia High School, 4301 S. Apopka Vineland Road, Orlando; free for members, $25 non-members; for information, email [email protected] or visit www.gujaratisocietycfl.com

MARCH 22: organized by Indian Horizon of Florida; Festival Park, 2911 E. Robinson St., Orlando; 10 a.m.; $15 advance, $20 at gate; for information, call (321) 662-1887 or visit www.indianhorizonfl.com to purchase tickets.

NAPLES/FORT MYERS
MARCH 23: organized by India Association of Naples; Vineyard Park, 6231 Arbor Blvd. W., Naples; 2 to 5 p.m.; free for IAN members, $10 non-members; RSVP required: https://evite.me/xxYv4fZRfj or email [email protected]

JACKSONVILLE
MARCH 15: organized by Gujarati Samaj of North East Florida; Hindu Temple of Jacksonville, 4968 Greenland Road;11 a.m.; free with RSVP; for information, call (904) 209-9445 or visit www.gsnef.org

SOUTH FLORIDA (MIRAMAR/MIAMI)
MARCH 9: organized by Indian Regional and Cultural Center (IRCC); Miramar Regional Park, 16801 Miramar Parkway;11 a.m. to 4 p.m.; for details, call Durgesh Thaker at (954) 543-1539 or visit www.irccflorida.org to purchase tickets.

MARCH 16: organized by Miami Association of Indian Americans for Culture and Arts (MAIACA); Kendall Hammocks Park, 11395 S.W. 79th St., Miami; 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.; adults $20, kids ages 5-12 are $10; for information, visit https://www.maiaca.org/

GET READY FOR INDIA FESTIVALS ALL OVER FLORIDA!

MELBOURNE MARCH 8-9; ORLANDO/CASSELBERRY MARCH 15; GAINESVILLE MARCH 22; FORT MYERS APRIL 5

By NITISH S. RELE – [email protected]

MELBOURNE: Manav Mandir will present its 28th annual Indiafest on Saturday, March 8, and Sunday, March 9, at Wickham Park, 2500 Parkway Drive, Melbourne. The fun family event brings Indian culture to the Space Coast with cultural and fashion shows, henna, arts and crafts, Indian cooking demo, food, raffle drawings, etc. This year’s theme is “Festivals of India,” which will showcase some of the traditional festivals that will give a colorful, fun and festive atmosphere to the weekend. Timings are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $8 for adults, $4 for children 12 and under; kids younger than 5 years are free.

This festival is unique in its commitment to giving back to the community. Indiafest is a non-profit, cultural organization known for its charitable efforts to local charities, including the parent organization, Manav Mandir. With community support, the organization has raised and donated over $1.4 million to date. Last year’s selection were Aging Matters of Brevard, which serves meals to the senior population and, Children Hunger Project, which provides food to elementary school kids for the weekend who would otherwise go hungry. This year’s selection is currently being researched and will be announced soon. For information, call Nina Gadodia at (321) 779-0110, e-mail [email protected] or visit www.indiafestbrevard.org

ORLANDO/CASSELBERRY: The Hindu Society of Central Florida will hold its annual Indiafest on Saturday, March 15, on the temple grounds, and the cultural program in the air-conditioned community hall. Admission is free with a $10 parking fee. The event will be held from 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. at HSCF, 1994 Lake Drive, Casselberry. Visit www.orlandohindutemple.org

GAINESVILLE/ALACHUA: Presented by the India Cultural & Education Center, India Fest (Traditions of India) will be held on Saturday, March 22. It will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Legacy Park Multipurpose Center, 15400 Peggy Road, Alachua. There also will be Indian food, music/dance, fashion, jewelry, etc. For information, email [email protected] or visit www.icec-florida.org

FORT MYERS: The India Association of Fort Myers (IAFM) will hold its annual India Fest on Saturday, April 5, at JetBlue Park, 11500 Fenway South Drive, Fort Myers. The 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. event will feature Indian food, dance, henna, music, handicrafts and clothing. More specifically, there will be live entertainment on the outdoor stage throughout the day, including modern and classical dances, and fashion shows. For information, email [email protected] or visit https://www.iaftmyers.org/