The iconic Wellington Diwali Festival - the second biggest Diwali celebrations of Aotearoa – is back and promising to bring another edition of a dazzling display of different colours of the Indian culture.

The Wellington Diwali Festival is scheduled on Sunday, October 28, from 1.30 pm to 9.30 pm at the TSB and Shed 6 Venues in Wellington.

The festival is brought to the community by Wellington City Council and produced by Communities Action Trust NZ (CATNZ).

The event will feature vegetarian food, arts, crafts and information stalls, an exhibition on Lights /Diya, non-stop cultural entertainment, including international cultural presentations from India, and dazzling fireworks at the conclusion of the event.

Every year a variety of stallholders come to the festival showcasing Indian craft, food and culture.

The organisers of the Wellington festival are calling upon enthusiastic performers keen on showcasing their artistic talents in front of a huge audience.

The event producer Murali Kumar of CATNZ, speaking to the Indian Weekender said, “There will be almost 8 hours of non-stop performances, 18 diverse vegetarian food stalls and a number of retail stalls showcasing Indian arts, culture and fashion.”

Further information on registering for group performances including the application forms can be found on www.catnz.org.nz or by emailing the Wellington Diwali Festival team at diwali@catnz.org.nz.

We can also possibly take a few more retail stall bookings provided they meet all expectations” Mr Kumar said.

Wellington Diwali Festival, like the Auckland Diwali Festival, was launched by the Asia New Zealand Foundation in 2002 as part of its mission to increase New Zealanders' understanding of Asia.

Since then the festival has grown in size, bringing more than twenty thousand visitors every year, who indulges themselves in once in a year experience of sights, sounds and smells of the Indian sub-continent in Wellington.

Diwali showcases contemporary and traditional Indian music and dancing, food and crafts, exhibitions and workshops, and children's activities.

Past activities and workshops have included sari tying, rangoli (traditional decorative designs made on floors or courtyards) and Indian games.

In the past international performers from India had also mesmerised the Wellington’s festival-goers with their energetic performances – a trend that the festival organisers are confident to be able to maintain this year.