PHILADELPHIA, July 31, 2003 (PRIMEZONE) -- Celebrate Indian culture with food, music, dancing and crafts at the Festival of India, part of the PECO Energy Multicultural Series. This FREE Festival will take place on Festival Pier at Penn's Landing, on Columbus Boulevard at Spring Garden Street on Saturday August 16, 2002, from Noon -- 8:00 p.m. Independence Blue Cross is the presenting sponsor of the 2003 Summer Season at Penn's Landing.
This year, the Festival of India entertainment line up will feature both classical and folk dancing, live music and a fashion show. Governor Ed Rendell will also participate in the festival at 5:45pm during an awards ceremony, recognizing people of Indian origin for their community service.
Vendors will be on hand selling traditional Indian arts and crafts including clothes, jewelry, music, and other cultural items. Traditional Mehendi work (artistic design) will be available to be done on both hands and feet. There will be a variety of dishes from both North and South India for visitors to enjoy. The authentic Indian fare will include Masala Dosa (Indian pancake with potato and chutney), Parata (Indian bread), Tandoori chicken, and Samosas (potato and meat turnovers). Drinks like Mango Lassis, mixed from juices from exotic fruits will also be available.
In addition to the authentic cuisine and crafts, the Cardiovascular Institute of Philadelphia and Cardiology Consultants of Philadelphia are offering free blood pressure and cholesterol screenings. Heart disease is 4 times more likely in South Asians than other Americans and begins at an early age. Patrons will be invited to stop by the "Healthy Heart Booth" for heart health education materials and will be able to ask South Asian cardiologists about the risk factors for high blood pressure and cholesterol.
This free event, presented by PECO Energy and the Council of Indian Organizations In Greater Philadelphia works to publicize the importance of the Indian culture and community to the Philadelphia region.
Reaching out to the diverse communities is a goal for PECO Energy and for the past ten years this has been a huge success at Penn's Landing. "All of us at PECO Energy are thrilled to return to the waterfront with our 10th Anniversary season of support for the multicultural festivals," said PECO president Dennis O'Brien. "Penn's Landing is a Philadelphia summertime tradition and the PECO Energy Multicultural Series is a fun way for us to celebrate the wide range of diversity represented in our service territory."
Admission is free for all PECO Multicultural Series events.
PECO Energy is proud to be Philadelphia's hometown energy company and one of the region's most prominent civic supporters. PECO is committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and celebrating diversity inside and outside the Company.
Based in Philadelphia, PECO Energy is an electric and natural gas utility serving southeastern Pennsylvania. PECO and its Chicago-based sister company, ComEd, are subsidiaries of Exelon (NYSE:EXC), a $15 billion leader in the energy industry with the largest retail customer base, a large, diverse power generation portfolio and a leading wholesale energy marketing operation in North America. PECO delivered 36.5 million megawatt hours of electricity and 85 billion cubic feet of natural gas in 2002, generating $4.3 billion in revenue in 2002.
PECO contributed more than $10 million in 2002 to non-profit organizations, events and programs which improve the quality of life in the region. PECO serves 1.5 million electric and 450,000 natural gas customers in southeastern Pennsylvania.
Penn's Landing is Philadelphia's Waterfront district, running along Columbus Boulevard from Washington Avenue to Spring Garden Street. The two main sites for the more than 75 festivals, concerts, and events at Penn's Landing are the Great Plaza, located along the Delaware River at Columbus Boulevard and Chestnut Street, and Festival Pier, on Columbus Boulevard and Spring Garden Street. For more information on event locations and event details, call (215) 922-2FUN or visit www.pennslandingcorp.com. Independence Blue Cross is the presenting sponsor of the 2003 Summer Season at Penn's Landing.
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