By Dasia Hood

According to Lal Vishin, executive director of the Festival of India, not many Indian-American families lived in Charlotte in the early 1990s. Vishin realized people in Charlotte needed to have true stories of India to widen their views of cultural norms, cuisine and value systems.

“We did a lot of soul searching to find that we needed to reach out as a community so people would begin to understand and recognize who we are,” Vishin said.

He helped organize the first Festival of India in 1994 and it brought about 500 people to Spirit Square in uptown Charlotte. Community members cooked food and set up stalls while children performed dances on stage. After connecting with ASC, the festival secured a spot in a larger facility and expanded into selling food and souvenirs with vendors on the street. ASC also helped them mature with budgets, reporting, accessibility and equality statements so they could align with corporations for more financial support and secure their nonprofit status.

Today, the Festival of India continues to bring Indian culture to uptown, hosting exhibits and bringing 900+ performers to the Belk Theater stage. They collaborate with other organizations, festivals and local schools to raise and build awareness of Indian culture.

Along the way, it’s become an example of how the arts and culture sector is a major economic driver in Charlotte-Mecklenburg.

Festival of India Drives Sales

In the groundbreaking Arts and Economic Prosperity 6 Study by Americans for the Arts, Charlotte recently revealed its economic power in the arts and culture sector thanks to organizations like the Festival of India. In 2023, festival traffic generated an estimated $20,000 in parking sales and $30,000 in ticket sales.

After partnering with the Charlotte International Arts Festival, Festival of India drew more than 20,000 visitors to uptown in 2023 and served as a significant source of revenue for more than 50 local merchants selling cultural food and souvenirs. Festival directors estimate that vendors averaged $6,000 in sales.

Vaishali Vetal said that Ruchi Collections has been a souvenir vendor at the Festival of India for the past three years. It is “a unique event here that celebrates and nurtures the best in Indian culture and also allows us to reach out to folks from the mainstream community who otherwise would not have an opportunity to experience something unique in town,” Vetal added. 

Muthu Anna of Exotica Indian Kitchen & Bar, which has participated in the festival for more than 25 years, attests that it “definitely provides another channel for additional revenue, but, in addition to that, it is a great platform that helps give great visibility to Indian food to the community at large, who may not normally indulge in ethnic cuisine.”

Understanding the driving force of cultural experiences like the Festival of India and its economic impact makes a case for continued investment in Charlotte’s vibrant arts community.

Festival of India Celebrates Milestones in 2024

The Festival of India returns to Uptown Charlotte in September 2024 for its 28th year. Before that, you can experience the 3rd Regional Festival of India in Stumptown Park in Matthews on April 27. Learn more about the Festival of India on its website and follow the Festival of India on Instagram.