Another thing that draws Canadians to the South Asian Culture is their festivals and celebrations. Not only do South Asians celebrate with pride, but Canadians join in too. Many people, both South Asian and Canadian, attend the Festival of South Asia in the summer, brought to you by TD Bank. The Festival is hosted on Gerrard Street, another famous Toronto South Asian attraction. The festival consists of music, food, clothing, jewelry, entertainment and much more of South Asian Culture.
Festival of South Asia: April 23-24. Noon- 11:00 PM.
For Goan South Asians, there are many events hosted throughout the year. Goans. who are Portuguese Indian, have their own association in Toronto called Goa Toronto. "Goans are gregarious by nature, and after coming to terms with the basic necessities of life – food, shelter and clothing— they gravitate towards an amalgam of all amorphous bodies to establish a club for social and sporting pursuits, for the greater good of all. In this milieu, a group of six emerge as the ones who spearheaded the formation of what became the Goan Overseas Association (Toronto), in 1970" says Armand Rodrigues in April 2013. (Goa Toronto- Our History) The group, with its many members, organize Goan Pride events such as Viva Goa, 'The Feast' (in which, they celebrate their anniversary), annual dances and many more.
Goan South Asians also have their own soccer league in Toronto: Goan Soccer League Toronto. During the summer, annually, the 7 teams usually compete in a tournament. In fact, my father played for, and coached, one of the star teams, Aguada Waves S.C.
As you can see, Goans are full of pride and where they came from. In fact, every South Asian is. Every culture is. Bringing culture to Canada is something South Asians have successfully done for many years through the celebration of their culture.