Indraloka’s ThanksLiving: Celebrate Compassion and Community!

One of NEPA’s most popular autumn events — ThanksLiving — will be held at Indraloka in Dalton, PA, on Saturday, November 2nd. Kicking off at 11 am, the festivities include live music by The Hot Club of Scranton, fine dining catered by Parlor City Vegan, sanctuary tour, auctions, raffles and more. The highlight of the day is the Feast for the Birds, when the sanctuary’s flocks of turkeys, chickens and ducks — surrounded by hay bales where children and adults of all ages perch — enjoy a banquet of their favorite foods. Indraloka’s biggest fundraising event, ThanksLiving is made possible by longtime sponsor Toyota of Scranton and host WBRE/WYOU TV’s Paola Giangiacomo and Lucy Noland, award winning broadcast journalist, co-founder and author at Archimedes’ Printing Shoppe & Sundry Goodes

ThanksLiving will also feature the first public appearance of Loni the Lamb, who will be the guest star on a spring episode The Wizard of Paws, streaming on Disney+. The show follows prosthetics pioneer and founder of Bionic Pets, Derrick Campana, as he customizes adaptive devices for mobility-challenged animals.

Guests at ThanksLiving, which is in its 12th year, can wander the sanctuary, where staff and volunteers will be on hand to introduce visitors to many of the beloved animals. Children and adults will meet and hear the stories of animals who have overcome incredible odds to live thriving, happy, love-filled lives. This uplifting day is meant to bring joy and inspiration to everyone, especially those who might be struggling during these difficult times.

“Times are challenging for many of us right now. We need reasons to celebrate. And, we need to see that it’s possible to feel joy in our circumstances.” Indraloka founder Indra Lahiri says. “Sometimes it’s easier to get that message from animals. Seeing Loni running around in his wheelchair, grazing with his sheep friends, Mongo, the turkey who is sight-impaired, elderly Eddie Traffic, the pig who rescued himself from a truck bound for the slaughter facility, can help us accept our own vulnerabilities and differences.”

ThanksLiving is also an opportunity for people to come together and enjoy the natural beauty of Northeastern Pennsylvania amid the spectacular autumn colors. Surrounded by the Endless Mountains, Indraloka’s 100 acres of pastures offer a bucolic setting a mere 20 minutes from downtown Scranton. Home to nearly 200 farm animals of all species, Indraloka rescues, rehabilitates and provides lifelong love and care for animals saved from the most desperate circumstances. Year-round events offer visitors the opportunity to enjoy peace and kindness with beloved, gentle animals. Newly launched programs include “Indraloka Heals,” a transformative therapeutic model to transcend trauma, including the Resilience Series, which is a suite of services that support educators, families, and those healing from traumatic events to develop resilience and tools for dealing with difficult circumstances.

ThanksLiving has limited seating and sponsorship opportunities. For more information, please call Robin Olson at 858-335-8571 or email her at robin@indraloka.org. Dr. Lahiri is available for interviews. Members of the press are invited to ThanksLiving. Call for more information.