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This weekend is Baishakhi Mela, the Bengali New Year Festival, and once again the East End will be the site of Europe’s largest open-air Asian festival. A quarter million people are expected to descend on the area around Brick Lane known as Banglatown for the tenth annual festival.

Continue reading for the thirteen best things to do at the festival this weekend.

1. The Grand Parade: Mela always centers around a grand parade, and this years will start from Allen Gardens at 11:15 am. Women, children dressed in colourful traditional clothes & masks, musicians, dancers and community leaders will take part in the parade. This year, the grand parade will be led by the great emperor symbolizing the traditional landlord of Indian subcontinent. The parade will also be led by the Tiger; called Tiger out East, there will also be Elephant on wheels, Peacock boat, Bridal shows, Rickshaws and many other colourful festoons. This parade will move on through Brick lane providing entertainment to the visitors and will reach the main stage of Weavers field at 12:30 pm for official inauguration.
2. Jatra Opera: A famous Jatra group will travel from Bangladesh to perform in Mela
   event. The Jatra show will take place in Truman brewery site at 8pm on Sunday and 7 and 8pm on Monday.
3. Fashion Show: An exclusive fashion show will be organized during Baiskhakhi Mela. This will take place in Truman brewery site. Fashion show will take place from 6.00PM to 7.00 PM. Main participants of the Fashion Show will be the local Fashion Designers and Fashion Houses. This will also include some fresh local talents who are interested to pursue their career in Fashion business.
4. Boi Lit festival & Book Fair: The Baishakhi Literature Festival which will be
   taking place in the Brady Centre. Simultaneously a Book fair will be first of its kind to be introduced in this year. Leading publishers from Bangladesh will attend this session. Books of stories, novel, general knowledge, culture etc. This will create
   a mini version of Bangla Academy Mela in London for lovers of literature. Renowned
   cultural personality Professor Abdullah Abu Sayeed is expected to join in this program.
   
5. Film Festival: An exclusive film festival will be arranged in Brady Centre. Film show will start from 5.00PM. Three consecutive films will be shown by leading London based film makers of British Bangladeshi community.
6. Kabadi: In honor of the coming Olympics, the festival organizers would like to introduce festival-goers to the traditional ethnic sport of Bangladesh. Called Kabadi, the demonstration will give a very good exposure to the participants and observers
   of the Mela about a very traditional and national sports of Bangladesh. The game will
   take place in Weavers Fields at 1.30 PM.
7. Music: Weaver’s field will have the main stage of Mela. Mela will be officially inaugurated in this stage at 12.30 PM. From midday a full range of Bangladeshi sounds will build the rhythm with everything from traditional, folk, Baul, Modern, Fusion, Classical, Contemporary, Bangla Rapp including 2nd and 3rd generation British-Bangladeshi youngsters performance as well as Bollywood to Bengali rock, Bhangra and contemporary east/west fusion. Plus leading artists from Bangladesh and India will be performing along with local artists.
8. Music: Allen garden will have community stage which will be full of songs; dances and dramas from the UK based multicultural community talents.
9. More Music: Traditional Folk and Baul songs will be performed to represent the root of Bengali culture. Leading Baul artists will perform in Allen gardens. There will be exclusive two hours music show of Baul songs in this Mela.
10. Food: Brick Lane is already the only place to bother going for Bangla food and amazing curries, but with Mela, the quality goes up yet another notch, and some traditional festival dishes show up on the menus.
11. Shopping: Handicrafts, sweets, clothes and toys will all be on offer from the myriad of sellers stalls that will line Brick Lane and dot the surrounding area.
12. Mehendi: Body painting with Henna is a traditional Bangla art, and there will be a plethora of artisans offering this unique art during Mela.
13. Car-Free: Of course, the whole area will be shut down to autos all day, which is enough reason alone to get out and party!