WEST RIDGE — Bustling Devon Avenue will be filled with celebration and Indian pride this weekend as the neighborhood gears up for the India Independence Day parade.
The parade will kick off at 11 a.m. at Devon and Western avenues and continue west to California Avenue.
Though the Indian national holiday technically falls on Aug. 15, the event marks the country's freedom from the British in 1947.
West Ridge is home to a robust Indian population who share Devon Avenue with other cultural groups in the community such as Orthodox Jews, Pakistanis and Muslims — a fact that has made the area a unique and vibrant cultural destination.
The one-mile stretch of Devon between Seeley and California avenues has gained the moniker "Little India" for its many saree and jewelry shops, restaurants, grocery stores and more.
At the time of the 2010 Census, West Ridge was home to about 5,400 Indian residents — about 7 percent.
Immediately after the parade from 2-7 p.m. is the Inside/Outside Devon Sidewalk Sale, which will feature an array of sales from local business owners both inside their stores and along the sidewalk.
