Nestled within the northern reaches of the Western Ghats, Nashik is a landscape of forested hills, seasonal streams, farms and villages where nature and community life have evolved together over generations. Beyond its well-known cultural and spiritual heritage, Nashik is also home to Adivasi communities whose traditions remain closely connected to the forests, seasons, agriculture and everyday life. Communities such as the Warli, Kokna, Thakar and other Adivasi groups continue to keep their living heritage alive through music, dance, rituals, celebrations, traditional knowledge and community practices. These traditions are not performed only for an audience; they are part of social and cultural life, marking festivals, harvests, marriages, agricultural cycles and community gatherings. Music and dance offer a window into this intimate relationship between people and place. Pawri, a wind instrument traditionally made from a dried gourd, accompanies vibrant community dances and reflects the joy of the harvest. Thakar Nritya, performed to the rhythms of drums, is associated with the arrival of the monsoon and the beginning of the agricultural season. Dera Geet, a distinctive tradition of singing during marriages, offers a different musical expression rooted in community life. Other traditions, including Bagh Pawri, Dongri Dev Nritya and Madal Nritya, bring together music, movement, ritual and stories connected to the forests and hills. The Nashik Living Heritage Festival invites visitors to experience these traditions within the landscapes and communities where they continue to thrive. Supported by the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation, our work focuses on developing experiential tourism that creates meaningful connections between visitors, local communities and their living heritage. The festival is an opportunity to meet communities, experience their artistic traditions and understand the relationship between culture, nature and everyday life—while encouraging respectful and responsible engagement with Nashik’s living heritage.