Defence Minister Harjit Singh Sajjan was in attendance during the seventh annual Kelowna Vaisakhi Parade.
Liberal MP Stephen Fuhr and Sajjan addressed a large crowd of roughly 400 people Saturday.
More than 1,000 people joined in for a celebration to mark the harvest of winter crops in the Punjab region and the start of a new year. Farmers celebrate the fruits of their labour, give thanks and pray for prosperity in the future.
“We make our community stronger. It’s like awareness about the religion. Every year we gather more and more people and they learn about our culture. There’s more community involvement,” said Renu Lagaah, who used to live in Kelowna, and was visiting the parade with her family.
“There’s a lot of people compared to what I saw four years ago.”
Rutland resident Katie Vig said this is the first time she’s been to the parade and she’s enjoying herself.
“The kids are seeing a lot of people that they know from their school, which is exciting for them.”
Emily Vig said the bus in the parade was her favourite part and seeing all the different dresses.
The parade ran Saturday, April 29 at the Okanagan Sikh Temple.