LOS ANGELES – The Annual Pakistan Day LA celebration drew an estimated crowd of 18,000 to commemorate the 60th Independence Day of Pakistan.

The event, held at Los Angeles Exposition Park on Aug. 11, had over 100 vendor booths featuring Pakistani food, arts, handicrafts, jewelry, traditional clothing and more.

Each year, southern California’s Pakistani-American community comes together to celebrate Pakistan’s independence.

The modern state of Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, was established on Aug. 14, 1947.

The date marks when British colonial rulers granted independence to the subcontinent. The Islamic Republic of Pakistan was then created by the partition of Hindu-dominated India.

A free live concert was presented throughout the evening with a fashion show and performances by singers from Pakistan like Alamgir, Ali Haider and Najm Shiraz.

Entertainment also included local music acts like Pehchaan, Silk Jive, Dastaan, Jibran and Arshad Ali and dhol (drum) performances.

Speakers included Consul General Syed Ibne Abbas; Deputy Mayor Arif Alikhan on behalf of L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa; L.A. County Sheriff Leroy Baca, who recently visited Pakistani; and Kern County Sheriff Donny Youngblood, among others. Emmy Award Winning Actress and voice of Bart Simpson, Nancy Cartwright, was also present and danced on stage during the festivities.

"We all should build bridges between our motherland and the adopted country, the United States of America," Abbas said. "We all must have pride in ourselves as Pakistanis."

Youngblood called the Pakistani community "an integral segment of America," and said that Pakistanis as a whole have worked toward close community ties and entrepreneurial leadership that he called ideals America was founded on.

United for Pakistan Independence Day (UFPID), comprised of several southern California-based Pakistani organizations and community leaders, organized the event.