This weekend will be a busy one for California’s Sikhs, with a variety of events from Saturday through Sunday.

Sikhs celebrate a century in the United States
Stockton, California, September 22-23

As previously mentioned, the Stockton Gurdwara in Stockton, California will celebrate the 100-year anniversary of the establishment of the Gurdwara — considered the oldest in America — with a conference on Saturday, September 22, entitled “The Sikh Journey to America“, at the Spanos Concert Hall at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California.

The celebration continues on Sunday, September 23, with the opening of the Sikh History Museum and Library at the Stockton Gurdwara (1930 S. Grant St., Stockton, CA 95206).

Additional events are scheduled following the weekend in the weeks to come.

The Sikh Coalition “5K for the 5Ks” Run/Walk fundraiser
Sunnyvale, California, September 22

Also on Saturday, the Sikh Coalition is holding their second annual fundraising five kilometer run/walk called “5K for the 5Ks” (named for the five articles of faith of the Sikh religion) to help raise funds to support their civil rights work in support of Sikh Americans. This is a family event that includes a variety of activities and entertainment.

And, also mentioned previously, I will be at this event. Donate to my fundraising effort in support of the Sikh Coalition, and I’ll take you out to dinner in the Bay Area complete with a professional photo by Karaminder Ghuman of MadebyKG.com!

The 3rd i San Francisco International South Asian Film Festival
San Francisco, California, September 19-23

Also currently running through this upcoming weekend and next is the 3rd i South Asian Film Festival in San Francisco, California. Of particular interest to Sikhs will be the films in the “Sikh Voices” category:

• Coast to Coast: Home Grown Shorts – Sep 20, 2012 – 7:15 pm
• Alms for a Blind Horse (Anhey Ghodey Da Daan) – Sep 22, 2012 – 12:00 pm
• Sikh I Am: Voices on Identity – Sep 23, 2012 – 12:00 pm

Sunday’s “Sikh I Am” presentation includes screenings of three documentaries addressing the topic of the male Sikh identity — Article of Faith (2011),  Siklidar (2012), and Roots of Love (2011) — and will be followed by a panel discussion with several of the filmmakers, moderated by Simran Kaur of the Sikh Coalition.

Sikhs in California enjoy the envious problem in having to choose from all of these opportunities to engage with their community this weekend.