From Diyas to Dance; Aurora’s Diwali Celebration Draws Community Together
The Indian American Community Outreach Advisory Board, with the support of the City of Aurora, hosted its annual celebration with a new Children’s Hour, more than 20 performances, and a message of unity.
Asian Media USA ©
Aurora, IL: (October 24, 2026) The Indian American Community Outreach Advisory Board (IACOAB) hosted its annual Diwali celebration on Saturday, October 24, 2026, at Metea Valley High School, 1801 N. Eola Rd, Aurora. Admission and parking were free, and the event ran from 2:00 PM to 8:00 PM. Families, neighbors, and community leaders filled the grounds for a day of food, culture, and light. Last year’s celebration drew about 6,000 guests, and organizers expected a similar turnout.
The celebration is the work of IACOAB board members under Chair Adithya Subramanian, carried out with the support of Mayor John Laesch, city officials, the Aurora City Council, and other elected members of the community. IACOAB hosted the city’s first citywide Diwali festival in 2014 and has done so every year since.
Guests browsed a lively marketplace of vendors offering ethnic clothing and jewelry, along with home decor, crafts, and other goods. Food vendors served a wide range of Indian cuisine, and the lines were long and cheerful all afternoon. The event was made possible by the generous support of its sponsors and by the vendors who took part. Their contributions help fund the Swami Vivekananda Scholarship Fund, which recognized this year’s 10 recipients during the program.
The cultural program began with a new Children’s Hour, where young performers presented eight acts of dance and music. The main program followed, opening with a ceremonial lamp lighting and the national anthems of the United States and India. More than 20 groups took the stage over the evening, sharing classical dance, folk traditions from Punjab, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu, Bollywood favorites, and a dance drama of the Ramayana. Nache Mayuri brought the whole audience, including several elected officials, onto their feet to learn dance steps together. Emcee Poornima Venkateswaran guided the program, and a live stream on YouTube let family and friends watch from home.
Elected leaders and honored guests joined the community on stage. Mayor Laesch read the city’s official Diwali proclamation, which recognizes the historical and religious significance of the festival and the message of tolerance, compassion, and the victory of good over evil. Before reading it, he acknowledged the recent threat made against a Hindu temple in Aurora.
“It’s important to come out and to continue to celebrate traditions against a backdrop of what appears to be a threat.” — Mayor John Laesch
Congressman Bill Foster, who has represented Aurora for many years, echoed that message.
“The right answer is to come out and smile and celebrate the light. We don’t want to let the troubles of today extinguish the light and the love that really should always symbolize Diwali.” — Congressman Bill Foster
Lima Matthew, representing the Consulate General of India in Chicago, spoke about what Diwali means to the diaspora and thanked the organizers for keeping the culture alive.
“Diwali is not just a festival, it is a message of hope. It symbolizes that no matter what the problems are, the sufferings are, light always finds its way.” — Lima Matthew, Consulate General of India, Chicago
Ward 10 Alderwoman Shweta Baid praised the board and the residents of Aurora and spoke of the city’s strength in its diversity.
“Aurora stands in solidarity with Hindu community, and hate has no home in Aurora.” — Alderwoman Shweta Baid
Other members of the Aurora City Council who joined the celebration included Dan Barreiro, Juany Garza, Jonathan Nunes, Patti Smith, Edward Brooke, and Keith Larson. Other elected officials also joined to celebrate the festival of lights in the City of Lights, Aurora.
“Diwali is about spreading light and goodness and sharing our culture with our neighbors.” — Adithya Subramanian, Chair, IACOAB
Those who attended carried home more than souvenirs. They carried the memory of a community that still knows how to gather, to feast, to dance, and to shine together. And for those who could not attend this year, the invitation remains open for the next: the Indian American Community Outreach Advisory Board will once again light the way.
IACOAB thanks the City of Aurora, Metea Valley High School, its sponsors, vendors, performers, and the many volunteers who gave their time to make the day possible. As the final performances ended and the last stalls closed, the message of the day was clear: in a city proud of its diversity, light is something that grows when it is shared. IACOAB looks forward to welcoming the community again next year.
IACOAB Board Members: Adithya Subramanian (Chair), Nadia Kanhai (Co-Chair), Ghousia Wajid (Secretary), Swati Singh, Vinod Pandey, Jasmeet Singh, Peeyush Khandelwal, and Raghavendra Singh.
“Diwali reminds us that every community carries its own light, and when those lights are shared freely, entire cities grow brighter. The Indian American Community Outreach Advisory Board continues to model this truth with grace and consistency. In celebrating culture without exclusion, they strengthen the civic bonds that make Aurora stronger. May the spirit of this Festival of Lights continue to guide our shared journey toward understanding, respect, and joyful togetherness.” — Mr. Suresh Bodiwala, Chairman and Founder of Asian Media USA.
