By: Alex Bloom

Taking place from July 6–15, this year’s festival is themed as “Tales of War and Peace.” It is a celebration of the good that artists of various kinds do in society, as well as of Indian culture and multiculturalism as a whole. The festival also seeks to examine the history of the city, both the good and the bad.

     The opening gala will take place on July 6 from 7 p.m.–11 p.m. at the Roundhouse Community Centre and will include food from Vikram Vij and other chefs. However, I don’t recommend this particular part of the festival for students, as tickets come at the lofty price of $100. Other parts of the festival such as walking tours, talks, and musical acts come much cheaper, or are free, and there is something for everyone. Participating artists and speakers include Anosh Irani, Anvita Abbi, and Mohamed Assani.

     There is also an event being held at SFU Harbour Centre in honour of the festival and as part of the ongoing series City Conversations. This instalment of the series is called “Beyond ‘Ethnic’ Food: Making Multicultural Friends,” and it will be taking place on July 6 from 12:30 p.m.–1:30 p.m. and is an examination of many aspects of how different cultures interact and learn things from each other.

For more information on the Indian Summer Festival, visit their website, as the events list is quite extensive. More on the City Conversations event can be seen on the SFU events calendar online.