by Marta Marychuk

Brampton’s biggest two-day South Asian festival, Vibrant Brampton, is returning for its third year, on July 27 and 28, at the Davis Campus of Sheridan College, in Brampton.

The free event is organized by the nonprofit group Arts & Culture Initiative of South Asia (ACISA).

Vibrant Brampton provides a taste of South Asian culture that encompasses India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka. The event includes performances by various artists such as dance groups, classical musicians and modern popular singers.

This year, Vibrant Brampton features: Sirens of Shanti, Harpreet Dhillon, Jassi Kaur, Panwar Dance Group, Enakshi Sinha and Nrityadeep, among others.

In the past couple of years, this festival was held at Brampton’s Garden Square. This year, the festival will grow into a new and larger location, at Sheridan College, in Brampton.

Vibrant Brampton is sponsored by RBC, Value Mobile, Downtown Brampton BIA and funded by the City of Brampton and Canadian Heritage. This event is also supported by Stop Diabetes Foundation and Beaux Arts, Brampton.

This summer, ACISA also presents a two-week arts festival, called Visual Arts of South Asia (VASA), that runs from July 15 to 28. It is held at Beaux Arts Brampton and showcases new and established artists.

Arts and Culture Initiative of South Asia promotes cross-cultural understanding, with the aim of bringing a diverse community together in celebration of life, culture, art and tradition.

The organization’s mission is to promote the diversity of South Asian art forms by showcasing local artists and providing them with an opportunity to present their work to a wide audience, and to break cultural barriers and encourage participation.

Both Vibrant Brampton and VASA will have several events, including hands-on workshops, Q&A panel discussions, a pre-event party and a gala reception at the Brampton City Hall Conservatory on July 26. For more information, visit www.vibrantbrampton.ca or www.vasaartsfestival.ca.