Portland’s India Festival moves back downtown after brief Beaverton experiment

India Festival, Portland’s largest celebration of Indian culture, is moving back to Pioneer Square after a brief 2024 experiment in Beaverton.

On Aug. 24, visitors to downtown Portland can expect to find a packed schedule of entertainment with 90 performances, plus food vendors and local artisans representing the diversity of Indian culture. Hosted by the India Cultural Association, the festival has been held at Pioneer Square since 1994, except for last year, when it moved to Beaverton.

Organizers said the move to Beaverton was intended to bring the festival closer to the area’s Indian community, which is largely based in Beaverton and Tigard. They also hoped the less expensive venue would help reduce costs and make it possible for more people to take part in the event.

“We moved to Beaverton and it was quite a success,” said India Cultural Association President Jaisen Mody. “We were able to rent the spots much cheaper than downtown Portland, and we also had more land so we could do more booths.”

The only drawback, Mody said, was the entertainment staging area, which was less visible to attendees in Beaverton City Park.

“Pioneer Square is designed so that everybody can look down and look at the stage all around it, and in Beaverton we couldn’t do that,” Mody said. “And people were not very upset, but they didn’t like the fact that we couldn’t see the performers very well.”

​​Although renting Pioneer Courthouse Square comes at a higher price, a $15,000 grant from the city’s economic development agency Prosper Portland helped make the move back downtown possible, said Mody. Smaller grants, sponsorships and booth rentals cover the rest of the festival’s $50,000-$55,000 budget.

Organizers say the return downtown is not just about location but also about improving the festival’s visibility.

“We do appreciate the people who are casually walking by to step in and get a glimpse of what’s happening with the Indian culture,” said Kala Kumar, who is coordinating the entertainment program. “That’s what we aim for.”

The downsize also means there will be fewer booths at the festival, 25 in total. Last year, more than 50 businesses and organizations participated, including food vendors, arts and crafts, clothing vendors and nonprofits. Even with a smaller footprint, organizers believe they’re making the right call.

“Our goal has not been to support the merchants,” Mody said. “Our goal has been to support the cultural event and the culture of India. … The main attraction is our entertainment program.”

Boasting 90 performances over 10 hours, this year’s program is the most robust showing at India Festival thus far, organizers said.

“It’s a very eclectic collection of acts from different parts of India,” Kumar said. “You have music, you have dance. This year, we have a magic show and are starting off the day with a yoga session. So there’s a big, diverse array of programs.”

The festival is, at its core, a celebration of India’s Independence Day, which takes place Aug. 15. Traditionally, the Portland festival has been held the weekend immediately following the holiday, but this year the venue’s schedule pushed the celebration back by one week.

Mody said he was most excited to bring the festival back to its home base, sharing culture, music and entertainment with the heart of downtown.

“I think a lot of people missed it, and it’s nice to be part of the Portland rejuvenation program,” Mody said. “We really think Portland is a great city. We’ve been doing it for 30 years there, and we hate to see it not flourish.”

If you go: 10 a.m.-8:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 24, Pioneer Courthouse Square, 701 S.W. Sixth Ave., free to attend, icaportland.org