DOCUMENTATION OF
UNITED DASHAIN FESTIVAL
Victory of Goodness
GREENSBORO NC
SUNDAY, SEPT 25, 2011
SUNDAY, SEPT 25, 2011
12 PM – 8 PM
Preparation
To create the United Dashain Festival, standing committees staffed with dozens of volunteers were created to cover food, culture, transportation and planning. A sports committee also formed to organize the October 8 tournament.
Caldcleugh Multicultural Center for the Arts
Committee members visited several event sites before choosing Caldcleugh, a facility owned and run by the City of Greensboro located near the Glenwood neighborhood.
Preparation
To create the United Dashain Festival, standing committees staffed with dozens of volunteers were created to cover food, culture, transportation and planning. A sports committee also formed to organize the October 8 tournament.
Monday, Sept. 19. Selecting goats.
Monday, Sept. 19. For several days Bhutanese and Nepalese met to discuss United Dashain Festival, plan activities and purchase supplies. Meetings took place at coffee shops and apartment complexes after people came home from work.
Greensboro Farmer’s Curb Market
Saturday, Sept. 24, Greensboro Farmer’s Curb Market.
Spreading the word about Dashain the day before the event.
Spreading the word about Dashain the day before the event.
Volunteer kids met at Daniel Woodham’s (Goat Lady Dairy) market stall.
Caldcleugh Multicultural Center for the Arts
Committee members visited several event sites before choosing Caldcleugh, a facility owned and run by the City of Greensboro located near the Glenwood neighborhood.
11:45 AM. Sunday, Sept 25. Bhutanese and Nepalese organizers had arrived
and brought in food supplies. But the parking lot was nearly empty!
and brought in food supplies. But the parking lot was nearly empty!
11:55 AM. An empty room!
12:00 noon. First arrivals.
12:10 PM. Guests without cars were shuttled in by Transportation Committee members.
Participants slowly arrived bringing potluck dishes.
Women carried in prepared foods.
Men hauled in bottled water.
The sound system arrived. Speakers were unpacked.
Planning Committee Co-Chairwoman and Vice President
of Triad Nepalese Community Center, Prabha Marhatta
and Bandana Khadka help direct traffic.
of Triad Nepalese Community Center, Prabha Marhatta
and Bandana Khadka help direct traffic.
Volunteer kids greeted guests and helped direct traffic.
Sister Gretchen greeted Bhutanese senior citizens.
Caldcleugh Director Kerri Mubaraak assisted throughout United Dashain Festival.
Kamleshkumar, Harikrishna, Narayan and Tek Bahadur
Planning Committee Co-Chairwoman and Vice President of Triad
Nepalese Community Center, Prabha Marhatta reviews the festival program.
The sign-in table for guests.
Left to right: Joanne Woodcock from Senior Resources of Guilford,
Kerri Mubaraak, Director of Caldcleugh , and Dr Sherrill Hayes and his family.
Cameras were everywhere.
Members of Triad Nepalese Community Center.
Cars start filling up the lot.
Nepalese Community Center, Prabha Marhatta reviews the festival program.
Kerri Mubaraak, Director of Caldcleugh , and Dr Sherrill Hayes and his family.
Cars start filling up the lot.
The room fills up. Soon it is packed!
Standing room only! People came and went throughout the event. Some came for a short time and then left for work, some came as soon as they were able. By holding United Dashain Festival for the entire afternoon, all community members were able to attend.
Announcer Sunil Pradhan. Sunil helped to organize soccer teams for the Oct. 8
United Dashain soccer tournament and assisted all phases of Dashain planning.
United Dashain soccer tournament and assisted all phases of Dashain planning.
Announcer Prabha Marhatta. As Vice President of Triad Nepalese Community Center, Prabha's participation and support, along with many TNCC members, was an important contribution to community building.
Greeting.....
Welcome... Bandana Khadka. A formal welcome to all.
Happy Dashain, exchange of greetings among all
Welcome song
Part 1
Brief description about today's program... Narayan Khadka
Solo dance by Ms Gurung from High Point
Many dishes crowded the kitchen.
Plenty of healthy vegetables and fruits.
And a rice cooker, too, just in case. Since no one knew how many
guests might come, extra food was prepared so that no one would go hungry.
guests might come, extra food was prepared so that no one would go hungry.
These boys were in charge of guarding the snacks after they were set out.
Snacks
Part 2
About FaithAction... David Fraccaro, Executive Director of FaithAction
(Narayan Khadka, interpreter)
Group Dance…Nyaika Khadka, Jeccica Koirala,
Sumeera Koirala, Kriti Parajuli
Song… Jiwan Pradhan
Mr. Dhaimal from the Charlotte Bhutanese community talks about the importance of celebrating Dashain in their new country and recalling their lives in refugee camps.
Solo song…Rabin Acharaya
The singer traveled from Charlotte to perform today.
Group dance…Hema and friends
Song…Bishal Bharati
Part 4
Acknowledgements and appreciation... Kharka Basnet
Light humor… Abir Chhetri
Traditional dance… Bandana Khadka
Solo song… Naresh Mainali
He performed Khaile Timro Pachwauri Ma Aljeh.
He performed Khaile Timro Pachwauri Ma Aljeh.
Group dance… Sujata and Dipti Chhetri
Part 5
Comic impersonations… Subash Mainali
Song… Madhav Dhakal
Dance… Manisha Gurung
Abdul Wahib
Mary Ellen Droppers with a new baby.
Hema and Manisha Gurung perform a contemporary Hindu
song that also includes Nepali, Spanish, and English lyrics.
Group dance…Geeta and Sushma
song that also includes Nepali, Spanish, and English lyrics.
Group dance…Geeta and Sushma
Solo song… from the Charlotte community
Solo dance…Naresh Mainali
Khadga Dahal from Greensboro dances to the Hindi song,
Dilgaya Dilgaya.
Dilgaya Dilgaya.
Mr Gurung from High Point performs a dance.
text
text
DASHAIN DINNER
Contributions by the many Nepalese and Bhutanese families
who come together today to celebrate the first United Dashain.
These delicious dishes were prepared by community members.
text
Rice is a basic staple.
Sanjay and Bandana
Everyone's hungry.
text
Part 6
Thanks to our other sponsors... Sunil Pradhan
Young people crowded the back of the room.
Solo dance… Sujata Chhetri
Solo dance… Sujata Chhetri
Hindu priest Punya Khatiwoda addresses the audience.
Solo song… Naresh Mainali
Solo song… Naresh Mainali
Solo dance… Laxmi
End of program.
By 8 PM the festivities were over. Plenty of volunteers stayed to fold chairs and sweep.
Namaste!
