Diwali Celebration – Federation of Indian Associations and Fremont Hindu Temple are organizing a grand celebration that promises fun for the entire family with cultural program, kids corner, entertainment, parade booths, real animals, gourmet food and fireworks.
Saturday, October 27
Alameda County Fairgrounds, Pleasanton
4501 Pleasanton Avenue, Pleasanton
11 a.m. – 11 p.m.
(510) 659-0655
After last TWO years of overwhelming support and success, once again “Windemere Friends”, a neighborhood group of Indo American families is organizing “Dandiya for Education 2012″. 100% of it’s proceeds are donated to SRVUSD schools. (2011 Event – Last Year’s donations to schools: $8,800)
***As of Sept 30, this event is already SOLD OUT!***
When: Saturday, Oct 20, 2012 – 7:30 PM – 11:30 PM
Where: Dougherty Valley High School Gymnasium (New Venue)
10550, Albion Road, San Ramon, CA
So get your Indian outfits ready for the fun filled evening with family, friends and neighbors! Come and relish a variety of Indian- food served by a popular Indian restaurant. And the bay-area’s best LIVE Dandiya-music to go with it !!
Please click on the following link to buy the tickets for this event and for sponsorship opportunities to help out your community and schools….. did we mention marketing exposure to a 1000+ crowd?
http://sites.google.com/site/NewWindemereFriends
Dandia or Raas / Garba, is a traditional dance popular in Western India. This celebration occurs during the fallfestival of Navratri (Nav-raa-tree). Dandiya is a dance with short sticks and an ever-changing partner, that promotes great calorie burn! Many folks have tried Dandiya and really enjoyed it. We will have a special training session from 7:00 PM to 7:30 PM for all our newcomers.
-Windemere Friends
Have you made clay Ganeshas in your childhood and want your children as well to have the same divine experience?
The Balagokulam chapter of Pleasanton is organising a Ganesh Chaturthi activity for the kids. Kids will be making clay Ganeshas and take them home to perform Puja. 
The event details are below:
Venue: Creekside Park, 5665 W Las Positas Blvd, Pleasanton
Date: September 16th (Sunday)
Time: 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM
Please note that the parents need to be present to assist the kids in making the Ganesha murthis. All materials needed for the activity will be provided by us. This FREE event is an activity of Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh to educate kids about their roots.
You can also view the flier for the event here: http://tinypic.com/r/2b2mj5/6
Mark June 23 and 24 to be at the Alameda County Fair in Pleasanton – the two days celebrate the Spice of India Festival with a lot of food and culture.
There is live cooking demo and food, cultural booths, Best of the Bay Samosa Contest, and what not. See details below, and in the flyer.
The Alameda County Fair is celebrating turning 100. This year’s Centennial celebration includes the return of the downtown Pleasanton Parade, a brand new concert format, and a variety of distinctive memorabilia chronicling its 100 year history.
SATURDAY, JUNE 23
Noon – 2nd Best of Bay Samosa
Rolling & Cooking Contest
1:15 pm Yoga & Meditation
1:30 pm Travel to India, No Passport Needed
3:00 pm Bollywood Fitness
3:30 pm Contemporary Dance & Music
4:30 pm Live Bollywood Music & Karaoke
5:30 pm Recognition & Vote of Thanks
SUNDAY, JUNE 24
Noon – Cooking Demo by
Famous Bay Area Chefs
1:15 pm Yoga & Meditation
1:30 pm Travel to India, No Passport Needed
3:00 pm Contemporary Dance & Music
4:30 pm Live Bollywood Music & Karaoke
5:30 pm Recognition & Vote of Thanks
Bollywood – Henna – Great Indian Live Cooking demo & food – Cultural booths – Traditional dance across various Indian states – Live Music * Yoga
Best Of the Bay SAMOSA Contest
SATURDAY, JUNE 23RD • 12 p.m.
More information: [email protected] • Krishna Kumar, 510-213-1223, [email protected]
Happy Holi!
After the grand Holi Dhamaal in 2010 organized by TVIA in the Emerald Glen Park in Dublin, we saw no one coming forward to organize one last year, and of course not this year as well. Holi sure is a fun time. Its one time when even strangers from the community can come together and get playful with each other. Bonhomie, dance, music is in the air. The fun is unique in itself, and sets up a good, interesting instance of an Indian festival for children.
If we don’t see an impromptu gathering in the Emerald Glen park, or elsewhere in the Tri Valley Area on the weekends of 10th/11th March, or even the next one, lets see if some of us would like to step up in ensuring we don’t go without one next year (2013).
Please participate in the poll below, if you can. Please provide an update for others if you or some group you know plans to get together to throw some colors for this year as well.
[polldaddy poll=6017680]
Please contact admin[a]trivalleydesi.com if you would like to help organize next year.
Its Karvachauth time, again. If you live in the Tri Valley area, this year (2011) as well you can head out to Livermore Temple for the Karva Chauth Puja / Katha. There will be three sessions on Saturday, Oct 15, 2011 – including at 5:00 PM and 6:00 PM. The pooja sessions can be joined only in the beginning, else one would need to wait for the next session.
Within Bay Area, Sunnywale, Fremont Temples typically have huge gatherings of women coming coming in the evenings for Thali Puja. In the Tri-Valley area, the Livermore Temple is slowly but steadily becoming a nodal point for this north-Indian style puja as well (even as its predominantly a Venkateswara temple). 
Mehndi/Henna – Putting Mehndi on the day, or the day prior, is also a big part of the tradition. Can’t see someone professional catering to the Tri Valley residents. So its either Do-It-Yourself, or there are other places in Bay Area to head to for about 25 bucks: Lovely Sweets-Tisha (Fremont) – 510-396-7501, or Sadia Fashion House (Fremont) – 5109968062, and probably many others.
There is special food for this festival too. Most of the grocery stores or “Sweet Shops” (like Cafe Tazza) in Dublin/Pleasanton will carry the stuff – Matthi (mostly sweet), Phenia-Jalebi, Cocunut, etc. is traditionally required.
At least in northern India, this festival has become a big fun (and big money and more!) event (beauty treatment and spas in Ludhiana, botox for Karwa Chauth in Delhi, and and even a Karvachauth mobile app that turns the screen of your phone into a ‘sieve’ / ‘chalni’, through which one can see the moon). There apparently are no big events or get-togethers that have caught up here, but don’t be surprised to see desi women, probably traditionally attired, in movie theatres in Hacienda and elsewhere during the day this time around! Get togethers in the evening to watch the chand (moon) together has become quite common, followed by dinner pot lucks.
The last thing is the big wait for the moon – that, especially on this day, seems always to play hide and seek. Moonrise on Oct 15 this year is slated to be at 8:38 PM for San Francisco.
About: Karva Chauth is an annual one-day festival celebrated by Hindu and some Sikh women in North India and parts of Pakistan in which married (and some un-married) women fast from sunrise to moonrise for the safety and longevity of their husbands (or future husbands). The fast is observed in the states of Punjab, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan and Gujarat. The festival has become a big deal with Indian diaspora, including in US.
This year again, The Federation of Indian Associations is organizing the grand mela and parade on August 13-14th. The mission of these India Independence Day festivities is to promote unity in diversity and democracy and build healthy relationship between various Indian and American communities. Folks from Tri Valley area have traditionally attended this biggest Indian mela in the bay Area with enthusiasm.
Location is same as lasy years – 39439 Paseo Padre Parkway, Fremont, CA, 94536 (Corner of Paseo Padre and Walnut Ave).
The Festival of India Banquet Night would be held in San Jose Airport Garden Hotel on Sunday night.
This year’s events will feature a Free Health Fair, Dance Competition, Grand Parade, Kid’s Corner, Banquet and a grand Cultural Program.
There will be more than 100 booths consisting of Clothes, Arts & Crafts, Food Vendors serving up regional cuisines from across India.
There is a special two day Spice of India Weekend at the Alameda County Fair which is on from Wednesday, June 22, 2011 till Sunday, July 10, 2011 (at Alameda County Fairgrounds in Pleasanton, CA)
Spice of India Weekend – June 25-26 Saturday/Sunday – 2011
2011 Fair Prices: Adult $10, Senior $8, Child $6
All Day in Festival Square both Saturday & Sunday:
• Art & Painting
• Henna Booth
• Produce & Spices (India Plaza, Dublin-shopindiaplaza.net)
• Cultural booths Indian
• Indian Food vendors on-site in Festival Square. (dishes for sale)
Saturday -June 25
Sunday-June 26
There are a zillion others fun activities going on at the fair – check http://www.alamedacountyfair.com/2011fair/home/index.php
Free sumptuous food, and entry. Where else could it be, but in a Punjabi cultural event. One of the handful of such events – the 8th Annual Diversity Spring Festival will be held on Saturday May 14 2011 at the Todos Santos Park Plaza in downtown Concord (the corner of Willow Pass and Grant Street) from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The Baisakhi (Vaisakhi) festival is sponsored by the Therapeutic Residential Services, and the Federation of Indo-American Association of Northern California. The event is presented by South Asian Behavioral Health and Training Foundation – SABH CENTER which is a Non-Profit California agency providing residential & mental health services to mentally & developmentally disabled, new immigrants & seniors.
Every year about 5,000 people from all over the Bay Area attend the Concord Baisakhi festival. There are expected to be 50 + booths for clothing, electronics, financial, health and information in 2011. As well, expect Cultural shows by children and artists.
Check last year’s event with pictures here.