With nearly 89,000 Iowan residents identifying as Asian, roughly a quarter of this population is Indian. A vast and vibrant community, Indians across eastern Iowa convene for numerous occasions — most notably the annual Harvest Festival.
From commemorating traditional Punjabi womanhood to dancing contemporary Bollywood dances, the 2026 Annual Harvest Festival celebrated Indian culture through shared cultural performances and food. Congregating at Clear Creek Amana High School March 7, hundreds of Indian students, adults and onlookers across eastern Iowa attended the festival.
Although the event was organized by the Indian Association of Iowa City Area and consisted of 32 total performances, West students Thara Rajagopal ’26 and Kavya Bhatt ’27 organized, choreographed and performed in two West student-led performances. Ananya Aedhu ’29 also performed in a traditional Bharatanatyam dance with her sister, Aashritha Aedhu…