Sikh Baisakhi Day

Southern California's Sikh community will celebrate Baisakhi Day today with a program at the Los Angeles Convention Center and a 2-mile parade through downtown.

The program at the Convention Center will run from 7:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. and include musical performances, a community vegetarian meal and a bazaar.

A ceremony honoring such distinguished guests as Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca; Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky; Councilman Paul Koretz; Reps. Judy Chu, D-Monterey Park, and Brad Sherman, D-Sherman Oaks; Assemblyman Mike Eng, D-Monterey Park; and Controller John Chung will begin at 12:30 p.m.

The parade is set to begin at 3 p.m. at the Convention Center and head north on Figueroa Street, then east on 11th Street, north on Grand Avenue, west on Seventh Street, south on Flower Street, west on 11th Street, and south on Figueroa Street to Pico Boulevard, ending at the Convention Center.

The parade will feature many decorative floats with special themes representing Sikh history, faith and culture, organizers said.

Baisakhi Day commemorates the day in 1699 when the 10th Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh Ji, established the Khalsa Panth, a society dedicated to purity of spirit.

The parade will result in street closures from 3 p.m.-5:30 p.m. and service changes to the Metro 14, 20, 28, 30, 37, 51, 52, 55, 60, 66, 70, 71, 76, 78, 79, 81, 96, 460 and 910 bus lines.