The first edition of the Terai Himalayan Festival — a daylong cultural extravaganza — will be held in Siliguri on February 23.

The event will be jointly organised by the Darjeeling district administration in association with the Siliguri Metropolitan Police and the Siliguri Municipal Corporation.

"The Terai Himalayan Festival has been planned to celebrate the cultural diversity of Darjeeling district. Anybody from the region, including the Dooars and hills, and even tourists can also take part in the cultural extravaganza to be held on February 23,” said mayor Gautam Deb in the presence of the commissioner of police, C. Sudhakar, and Darjeeling district magistrate Preeti Goyal, at the PWD inspection bungalow here on Monday.

The organisers aim to provide a platform for local artists, musicians and craftspersons who want to perform during the daylong event. The stretch along Hill Cart Road where the event will be held will be named "Happy Street”.

The festival will start from noon and carry on till 10pm.

Stalls for food, flowers, pottery and paintings will be set up. Fun events like fashion shows for grandparents and children, magic shows and games for families have also been lined up for the fest.

Deb said a major attraction that day would be a cultural event on an open stage at Mahatma Gandhi Chowk from 6pm. "Singer Subhash Biswakarma and some other cultural groups will perform in it,” Deb said.

The Siliguri police will hold meetings in the next couple of days to chalk out the city's traffic management for the event.