Garba, a traditional group dance associated with the Hindu festival of Navratri, brought families and neighbors together in a festive street setting.
Oak Tree Road became a lively outdoor celebration of Indian culture on Thursday, October 22, and Friday, October 23, as Woodbridge Township and Mayor John E. McCormac, in association with Oak Tree Road Iselin businesses, presented the first Open Air Garba. The two-night event drew a reported combined attendance of more than 9,000 visitors from New Jersey and the tri-state region, according to an October 29 press release from organizers.
Decorative lights and marigold garlands added to the festive atmosphere.
The roadway between Middlesex Avenue and Correja Avenue was closed to traffic for free Garba dancing from 7 to 10 p.m. each night, as participating shops welcomed customers from 5 to 11 p.m.
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Singer Umesh Patel headlined Thursday and Rex Dsouza headlined Friday. Each performed live from a stage in the middle of the roadway. Jahanvi Mehta and Kim Kumari hosted both evenings as co-emcees, keeping the crowd moving between the performances, the nightly Aarti and the prize drawings. Forty-nine businesses participated, and the program recorded more than 3,000 store visits across the two nights.
Woodbridge Township arranged the street closure, police and security coverage, lighting, power and barricades. The business community coordinated performers, decorations, prizes and promotion. Four free public parking lots were available, with QR-code directions to help visitors reach the event.
A distinctive feature of the celebration was the Oak Tree Road Passport, created by New Jersey-based DotCode Networks, to connect festivalgoers with local merchants. Each participating business displayed a QR code that visitors could scan to collect a digital stamp. Each stamp provided an entry into that evening’s free prize drawing, with no purchase or app installation required.
The Township and organizers believe the two-day festival demonstrated the economic vitality of Oak Tree Road and the importance of supporting local businesses. Forty nine businesses participated in the innovative passport program and more than 3,000 recorded store visits were recorded over the two nights.
More than $12,000 in prizes were reported as awarded through live drawings. On Thursday, Golam Mowla won a 20-gram gold bar (reported value $2,800) from the Oak Tree Road Business Association; Monira Miah won a buy-one-get-one-free round-trip flight to Delhi or Mumbai from CitiAir Travel; and Shraddha, Isha Chada and Krishna Jaggannolla each won a $200 gift voucher from participating businesses including Payal Beauty Salon, Pari Beauty Salon, Gehena, Natraj Jewelers, Krishna Jewelers and Shagun Bridal.
On Friday, Rayhan Sorwar won a one-ounce gold coin (reported value $4,500). Riju Gupta, Shreya Patel and Sharvil Patel each won a three-day tour to Dubai, Istanbul or Sri Lanka from CitiAir Travel. Devansh Nayi and Veeren Kawathekar each won gift vouchers worth up to $650 from participating merchants including Sajda, Nazranaa, Indira Saree, Biba, Bombay Talk, Khasiyat, Bombay Spice, Sri Dosa Place, Kathiyawadi Kitchen and Shalimar.
“We thank Jahanvi Mehta, her committee, and all Oak Tree Iselin businesses for all their work in organizing this amazing event!” Mayor McCormac is quoted saying in the press release. Organizers credited Mehta with playing a central role in coordinating the celebration, working closely with Oak Tree Road businesses, participating merchants, performers and Woodbridge Township officials to bring the event to life.
“We wanted Navratri back on the street where our community shops, and the street answered. Every store stayed open late, every visitor had a chance to win, and the passport sent people into shops they might otherwise have walked past,” said Mehta, adding, “This was the businesses’ festival. Every one of them made it a success.”