INDIA ASSOCIATION of CHARLOTTE  - Press Release 8-23-2021

After careful deliberation and in consultation with public health officials, our strategic partner for Festival of India, Charlotte Center City Partners, has decided to postpone the Charlotte SHOUT! initiative this year. We had been following their lead and also monitoring in real time the evolving health guidelines from state and county health authorities.

Based on conditions earlier, our all volunteer team had started working aggressively on the Festival of India 2021, at the new open venue (Gateway Village Uptown), a facility that offered many flexible social distancing options.

But the latest posture on Charlotte SHOUT! announced today, clearly reflects a heightened perception of risk from the raging delta variant. So we deeply regret to announce our very difficult decision to cancel the 26th Festival of India, scheduled for September 25, 2021. This is an extreme step of cancellation of our festival, two years in a row, that has been our labor of love for more than 25 years.

“The safety of our visitors, our performers, our volunteers and all other stakeholders, is of paramount concern to us, and that is why we are taking this extreme action,” said IAC President Lal Vishin.

“We understand the pain and disruption that our community is going thru as a result of this pandemic, and hope our action will be a small step in helping control the spread of the virus. We will continue to
follow all guidance from the authorities, as we move forward and will keep you informed via our website (www.indiafestival.net).

We thank all our stakeholders for their understanding, patience and support, as we navigate together through these uncharted and treacherous waters in the days and months to come.