New York City is hosting the largest annual celebration of Indian independence outside of India.
Tens of thousands of people have showed up Sunday for the noon parade down Madison Avenue from East 38th Street to East 25th Street. The 2018 festivities feature nearly 40 floats, 20 marching groups and six professional bands. There is also Indian food, merchandise, dancing and music.
This year’s grand marshal is Kamal Haasan, an Indian politician, film actor and dancer. Organizers say this year’s theme is “the world is one family.”
The annual celebration is organized by the Federation of Indian Associations, which represents more than 500,000 ethnic Indians in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.