Many festivals & cultural events take place along with other holidays, in and around Chandigarh city, including many Festivals, Exhibitions, Carnivals and Fashion Shows throughout the year.
FESTIVAL OF GARDENS/ ROSE FESTIVAL
The Festival of Gardens popularly known as Rose Festival is celebrated at Rose Garden in the month of February end or beginning of March. Initially called the Rose Festival it intended to encourage people to stroll through the Rose Garden and enjoy the sight of the blooms. Each year the festival grew: now it includes performances of music and dance, both classical and folk, flower shows, events for children, exhibitions by local artists, photographers and craftsman and a wide range of amusements. Since 1997 it is known as the Festival of Gardens and is included on the national calendar of festivals.
CACTUS SHOW
The Cactus Show is celebrated at the Cactus Garden in Panchkula in the month of March. Its almost 7 kms. from Sector 17 in Chandigarh.
BAISAKHI
Baisakhi is the first day of the new year in the traditional Vikrami calendar, it celebrates the wheat harvest, and it is one of the high points of the year for Sikhs as it is anniversary of the founding of Khalsa.
MANGO FESTIVAL
The Mango Festival is celebrated in the month of June at Pinjore Gardens. Mango growers from all over India and related industries which processes Jams, Pickels & other related stuff get together at one place giving a chance to public to taste their products. Mango-growers from all over India are invited to enter their prize fruits in the various competitions. Visitors to the fair can see and taste all the traditional varieties of the fruit as well as the latest hybrids from the agricultural universities.
TEEJ
The Teez Festival is celebrated at Rock Garden in the month of August . Its a festival for females. One can see every female dressed up with full jewelry like newly weds. Teej is a traditional holiday celebrated by women in the middle of the monsoon season-generally around the first week of August. The Rock Garden with its swings and pavilions is the festival venue and the day is basically a grand picnic with songs and dances, purchase of new bangles, painting the hands with mehndi.
CHRYSANTHMUM SHOW
The Chrysanthemum Show is celebrated in the Terrace Garden of Sector 33 in the month of December. The Show turns the Terraces Flower Garden in the city's Sector 33 into a multicolored wall-to-wall carpet of chrysanthemums. Hundreds of varieties of the flower are on display and city gardeners vie for coveted honors in the competitions.
PLAZA CARNIVAL
The Plaza Carnival is on every-Saturday-night free vau de ville held on an open-air stage set up in Sector 17's central piazza. The weekly three-hour programme draws a large crowd and provide an opportunity for talented local singers, dancers, magicians, comedians, actors and acrobats to do their stuff.
CHANDIGARH CARNIVAL
The Chandigarh Carnival is a three-day event celebrated in the second week of November shortly before or after Nehru's birth anniversary on November 14,otherwise known as Children's Day. The carnival opens with a colorful procession which everyone is encouraged to join. The carnival is a time for students to show their talent (or simply have fun) and elders too participate in a number of competitions and exhibits.