Diwali, also known as Deepavali, is one of the most significant and widely celebrated festivals in India and by Indian communities around the world. It is a multi-day Hindu festival that typically lasts for five days, with the main festivities occurring on the third day. The festival usually falls in October or November each year, depending on the Hindu lunar calendar.
Diwali is a big celebration in the Aspire calendar, with four of our Aspire centres hosting Diwali community events throughout October. These events invite our Aspire families and the local community to come together and celebrate this incredible festival with fun activities, performances, lights and delicious food.
Read more about our Diwali events throughout our communities below!
Over 200 people attended Aspire Tarneit North’s Diwali Festival of lights celebration on Friday 25th October. It was a wonderful night filled with songs, dance, food, heena and face painting. Families loved the traditional music and dancing that included Dhol performers and Bollywood dancing. Face painting and henna art was also a favourite amongst the children, with some beautiful designs painted on the children’s faces.
It was amazing to see everyone dressed up in their Sarees, Dhotis and other traditional wear that really brought the event to life. Check out some photos below!
We around 400 people joining Aspire Cranbourne West’s Fun Fair, it was a spectacular evening for everyone! The event was packed with activities, including popular food trucks like potato twists, a falafel truck, and an ice cream van which were a massive hit with families!
Families also enjoyed the gift and jewellery stands, hand-painting and henna stations, and sketches by Denver from Sketch Roo. The children also got to take some photos with groovy props at the photo booth. And in the outdoor yard were fun pony rides and an animal petting farm where the children were able to touch and hold chickens, guinea pigs, rabbits and more!
Amongst the activities, there was also traditional music and dancing which really brought the atmosphere to life! All our families and the community loved celebrating together with their families and friends.
On Friday 25th of October, our Aspire Atherstone and Cobblebank centres also celebrated Diwali at their combined Diwali community event at the Atherstone centre. With a standout crowd of nearly 500 people, it was a wonderful night filled with fun activities including henna, face painting and balloon twisting. They also had a DJ playing great tunes and traditional music that brought everyone together on the dance floor. There were also some food trucks, and a popcorn machine supplied by local businesses that provided families with some delicious food!
Thank you to the everyone who attended our community Diwali events this year! We hope you enjoyed this magical night with our families and the community.