Port Alberni's first-ever Vaisakhi parade drew a crowd last weekend, with hundreds of people taking to the streets to celebrate the birth of Khalsa.
Parade participants walked down the streets of Port Alberni on Sunday, April 13, singing hymns and stopping along the way to watch Gatka performers demonstrate martial arts techniques.
The parade started and ended at the the Guru Nanak Sikh Society gurdwara in Port Alberni, where free food was offered to participants and visitors. People came from as far as Courtenay, Nanaimo and Victoria to take part in the festivities.
The festival of Vaisakhi takes place in April every year, marking the new harvest season. It's also a time to celebrate the formation of Khalsa, which marked the beginning of the Sikh religion becoming a collective faith.
