The Vedic Cultural Center (VCC) of Sammamish will celebrate its 50th anniversary in the greater Seattle area on Sunday Aug. 12 from 3-9 p.m.

It was first established in the Seattle U-District in 1968. In 2008 the VCC inaugurated its flagship center in Sammamish with the support of the growing South East Asian Indian residents of the Seattle Eastside.

A grand free gourmet vegetarian food fest will take place in the VCC center. Christy Malchow, the honorable mayor of Sammamish will be the guest of honor and will address the VCC community and residents of Sammamish at 7 p.m. The VCC invites all Sammamish and Eastside residents to attend its joyful celebration featuring interactive cultural and educational booths, traditional singing and dancing and delicious free international cuisine.

The VCC community has been proactively engaged promoting traditional Vedic culture through festivals: Ananda Mela, the largest festival of Indian art and culture in the northwest, the festival of color in Redmond, Flavors of India in Bellevue, Lights of India–Diwali at Seattle Center and Festival of India at its VCC center in Sammamish. The combined attendance of these festivals is over 50,000 visitors. The goal of these festivals has been to build harmony amongst the diverse demographics in the Seattle area through the medium of art and culture.