Several hundred members of the area's tight-knit Nepalese community wound through downtown Boulder this afternoon in a joyful procession full of color and music.

Since 2004, Boulder has declared a Sunday in April each year as Nepal Day, when the community also celebrates the Nepal New Year. This year's parade was sponsored by Rocky Mountain Friends of Nepal, which also sponsored a cultural event in Denver on Saturday that featured Nepalese comedian Santosh Pant.

“It is a celebration and an opportunity to share our culture with Boulder and our Colorado family,” said Rocky Mountain Friends of Nepal President Surendra Shrestha, who lives in Boulder.


Nepal New Year parade participants play music and march across Canyon Boulevard near the Boulder Public Library. About 300 people celebrated the Nepal New Year of 2070 with a parade around the Boulder Downtown area on Sunday. ( CLIFF GRASSMICK )
 
Before the parade, people representing several generations gathered at the bandshell in Central Park, taking countless pictures and connecting with friends as they exchanged the traditional greeting of “namaste” and listened to drummers.

Women wore brightly colored and often ornately decorated silks, while most men wore traditional patterned caps. Just about everyone waved flags, either American or Nepalese, and whooped or sung along with the drummers as they paraded through downtown Boulder.

Immigrants from Nepal first began settling in Boulder in the 1970s. Starting in 2008, the U.S. government began resettling Nepali-speaking Bhutanese from refugee camps, bringing in a new wave of immigrants. The U.S. Census in 2010 recorded 2,751 Nepalese immigrants living in Colorado.

Several people who live in Boulder County said they left Nepal for the United States not for themselves, but to secure a brighter future for their children. The mountains here also are a reminder of home, while many people in the area have visited Nepal and appreciate the culture, they said.

Suna Suvedi and her 15-year-old daughter, Kushalta, “won” a visa and moved to New Jersey from Nepal about a year ago. After two months in New Jersey, they relocated to Boulder.
Sarina Shrestha, 9, gets wrapped up by the flag of Nepal in the wind. About 300 people celebrated the Nepal New Year of 2070 with a parade around the Boulder Downtown area on Sunday. ( CLIFF GRASSMICK )


“I like it here,” Suna Suvedi said. “It's similar to my home, and it's peaceful. It's good for our kids, for the future.”

Sumi Sharma moved here with her husband a decade ago and lives in Broomfield. All her extended family also have since moved to the area. She said she joins the parade every year, bringing her two girls to give them a connection to their culture.

“It's just fun,” she said.

Jagannath Gautam said the Nepal New Year is about both celebration and a chance to pray.

“We'll pray that Nepal will keep quiet and keep peace,” he said.

His son, Niraj Gautam, added that the parade allows immigrants far from home to honor their nationality.

“It's a really good way to let Boulder know of our presence,” he said.