MEDIA RELEASE
27 June 2018

Call for stalls at 2018 Auckland Diwali Festival
Registrations now open for stalls

SUMMARY
• Stallholder registrations are now open for the 2018 Auckland Diwali Festival.
• The 2018 festival takes place in Aotea Square and Queen St on Saturday, 20 and Sunday, 21 October, Labour Weekend.
• People keen to get involved can apply at aucklandnz.com/diwali

Do you make jalebi with the perfect combination of thin delicate shell and liquid inside? Hit the perfect balance of cardamom and rose water in your incomparable gulab jamun? Hold the secret to the best chaat recipes in Auckland?

Applications are now open for stallholders for the 2018 Auckland Diwali Festival, which takes place on Saturday, 20 and Sunday, 21 October – Labour Weekend – in Aotea Square and Queen St.

Auckland Diwali Festival is one of the region’s most popular cultural festivals, with 55,000 people attending the 2017 festival.

The event features live music and dance performances by local and international performers, a broad range of vegetarian Indian foods and sweets, street theatre and workshops, and wraps up with a dazzling fireworks display.

The festival is delivered by Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development (ATEED), on behalf of Auckland Council, in conjunction with founding partner Asia New Zealand Foundation.
Festival producer Leilana Meredith says she is keen to hear from Auckland-Indian businesses, organisations and individuals with authentic food and products.
“The Auckland Diwali Festival attracts a mix of Aucklanders and visitors of all ages and ethnic backgrounds, keen to celebrate and experience traditional and contemporary Indian culture in its many exciting forms.

“We want food and retail stalls that can offer traditional tastes and flavours, or the best modern fusion of India and 21st century Auckland.”
The event is also the largest vegetarian festival in the country. Auckland Diwali Festival stall sites are available for vegetarian food, sweets, retail, and henna vendors, or to promote not-for-profits, community organisations and businesses. The deadline for stallholder applications is 27 July 2018.

Further information including online application forms can be found on www.aucklandnz.com/diwali or by emailing the Auckland Diwali Festival team at diwali@aucklandnz.com.

NOTES TO EDITOR
• The Auckland festival is inspired by Diwali or Deepavali (row of lamps), an important and ancient Indian festival colloquially known as The Festival of Lights. It is celebrated by people in India and Indians living abroad. Families light lamps, candles and fireworks to symbolise the triumph of light over darkness, wisdom over ignorance and good over evil.
• Originally a Hindu festival, Diwali is also celebrated by non-Hindus. It's an official holiday in India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Mauritius, Guyana, Trinidad & Tobago, Suriname, Malaysia, Singapore and Fiji.
• Diwali signifies different things in different areas of India. For example, in Gujarat, the festival honours Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth. In north India, it celebrates the god Rama’s homecoming to the kingdom of Ayodhya after a 14-year exile. To light his way and rejoice at his return, the people of Ayodhya illuminated the kingdom with earthen diyas and fireworks.
• The Auckland Diwali Festival was first held in 2002, initiated by the Asia New Zealand Foundation and delivered in partnership with the then-Auckland City Council (now Auckland Council). It was set up to raise public awareness of traditional Indian culture, and acknowledge the contribution made by the country’s Indian communities during their long history in New Zealand.
• The religious festival’s annual dates are decided by the lunar calendar. The Auckland Diwali Festival is timed to coincide with both the observance of Diwali and the Wellington Diwali Festival, with which it shares its founding partner, the Asia New Zealand Foundation, and visiting international performers.

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