fɚðə fˈɛstɪvəlz θˈɜːɾiəθ ˌænɪvˈɜːsɚɹi ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd ˈeɪɾi sˈɪks, lˈɔŋtaɪm fˈɛstɪvəl ˈɔːɹɡənˌaɪzɚz tʃˈɑːɹlz ænd kˈæɹəl kjuːbˈɛlɪk pɹˈoʊɡɹæmd ðɪ ᵻvˈɛnt tə hˈaɪlaɪt ðə hˈɪstɚɹiz ænd kˈʌltʃɚz ʌv ˈɪndiə, kɚɹˈiːə ænd pˈoʊlənd, wɪð ˈɪndiəz ɛkstˈɛnsɪv pɹˈoʊɡɹæmɪŋ tˈaɪmd tə kˌoʊɪnsˈaɪd wɪððə fˈɛstɪvəl ʌv ˈɪndiə ɛksɪbˈɪʃən ðæt wʌz tˈʊɹɹɪŋ ðə juːnˈaɪɾᵻd stˈeɪts æt ðə tˈaɪm, ˈæftɚ hˌævɪŋ ˈoʊpənd æt ðə smɪθsˈoʊniən ˌɪnstɪtˈuːʃən ɪn wˈɑːʃɪŋtən, dˈiː.sˈiː.
For the festival's thirtieth anniversary in 1986, longtime festival organizers Charles and Carol Cubelic programmed the event to highlight the histories and cultures of India, Korea and Poland, with India's extensive programming timed to coincide with the Festival of India Exhibition that was touring the United States at the time, after having opened at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.