Away from the modern stages, the mela preserves the "True Spirit of Bihar" through traditional folk forms:

Rigid fabrics and structured blazers fail here. The style icons of Sonpur are the male youths in crisp, starched white kurtas moving into Bhangra steps, and the women in heavy Lehngas who kick the dust up in a Chhatt dance. The gallery celebrates functional opulence —the ability for a 50-meter ghoot (skirt flare) to spin without tangling.

For the men, style is displayed through their livestock. The very act of braiding a horse’s mane, painting a goat’s horns with bright aniline dyes, or decorating an elephant’s forehead with a gold-plated Matha Pattam is an extension of personal style. The mela is unique in that a well-adorned animal is the ultimate status symbol, blurring the line between the human fashion gallery and the animal exhibition.

Young revelers and tourists bring a fusion vibe to the fair.

: Cultural dances feature vibrant Bihar folk rhythms with performers often in colorful sarees or lehengas adorned with heavy embroidery to stand out under theatre lights.