A first-of-its-kind event in Central Illinois will celebrate the area's Pakistani neighbors and their contributions to their communities.
Pakistan Day, which recognizes Pakistan Independence Day, is common in large communities in the Chicagoland area, but the Aug. 23 event in Mahomet will be the first in Central Illinois.
Faisal Rashid, a 10-year resident of Bloomington, is one of the event organizers. He wanted to bring the celebration familiar to his family to communities in downstate Illinois.
“Pakistan Day is actually celebrated all over the United States in different cities…so, we figured we have a decent amount, decent community here, so why not do a Pakistan Day event right here in Central Illinois?” he said.
Rashid said his family is one of about 30 of Pakistani descent in Bloomington, and he knows of at least 250 other people between Springfield, Champaign and Peoria. The idea behind a celebration of Pakistan Day is to draw all those people, and others, together.
“We contribute to the cultural, the academic and economic life of this region, and [celebrating] our independence also promotes inclusion, strengthens community relationships and it gives all residents a chance to learn about our cultural heritage,” said Rashid.
Rashid said the event is open to more than the Pakistani community — it's an opportunity for the general public to come in and explore a culture they may not know much about.
It also reflects a commitment to diversity.
“And so, this is a chance for us to show that we’re part of the community and we want you guys to come in and see,” he said. “I’m sure a lot of people have probably heard about our food or may not have heard about our foods. We want them to come enjoy the different games … we’ll have some trivia there.”
The event also stands for the possibility of further celebration of Pakistani culture in Central Illinois. If everyone enjoys the biryani and nihari, Rashid said this pilot event could grow.
“So, more activities, more participation from all communities,” he said. “But this is just a start to see how a Pakistan Day will look like and if we can grow it to where we have more people come in and it’s a diverse crowd, that’s the whole idea, is for everyone to know about who Pakistan is.”
Around 10,000 people have attended the annual Pakistan Day celebration in Bolingbrook.
Rashid’s dad helps organize that event, where most of his family resides. He knows that turnout is easier to make happen there than Central Illinois, but it would be nice.
“I don’t know if we can get 10,000 people, but yeah, I want to grow it … if we can grow it to [the size of] Bolingbrook, it’d be nice,” he said.
The Central Illinois Pakistan Day celebration will take place at Lake of the Woods Forest Preserve in Mahomet. It will run from 3-6 p.m. Aug. 23.
