THE GOAN NETWORK
PANAJI
While the festival spirit was reined in to a certain extent by Covid protocols, revellers and foodies got into Carnival mode at Samba Square at the Jardin Garcia De Orta in Panaji.
Panaji’s traditional Red and Black dance was also held on the last day of carnival and saw the city street decked in red and black and lined with food stalls serving delectable Goan cuisine and sweet treats as food entrepreneurs, ranging from home cooks to pastry and bakery enthusiasts from across the State showcased their cuisine to a varied audience.
Everything from local and regional food to traditional recipes along with the modern and western varieties was offered through 50 stalls.
The stalls set up in association with Ferce Kitchens offered various types of delicacies. Chef Siddharth Shreshtha of Dil Se Sushi shared his first experience saying, “It was a great experience for the foodpreneurs community and a platform for us to explore our work and take it to the community.”
Abhishek Singh, incubation manager, AIC-GIM shared that it was an ideal platform to present culinary expertise. “The food entrepreneurs were overwhelmed by the response they received from the audience. We themed the event as ‘RECIPE (Re-imagine, Entrepreneurship, Culture, Influence, Present, Excel) which constituted the essential elements that build a foodpreneur,” said Singh.
Music and entertainment activities, contests, a vintage and classic car show also attracted visitors and audiences offering business to small local vendors.
The vintage and classic car show included Hindustan Motors Contessa, Chevrolet truck, Mercedes, Volkswagen, Premier Padmini, Dodge Motors and a convoy of bikes. The convoy was led by a fleet of 20 plus Harley Davidson bikers followed by 50 vintage bikes and cars.
The classic vehicles were a part of the vintage car drive flagged off by Ravi Dhawan, MD and CEO of Imagine Panaji Smart City in the presence of CCP Commissioner Agnelo Fernandes, Vivek Parsekar and Pradeep Naik of Goa Vintage and Classic Automobile Club. The fleet of vehicles drove across the city up to Dona Paula and converged back at the Samba Square.
Children’s activities and pop-up stalls also served to keep the crowd busy.
A stray dog adoption zone was set up by Animal Assist and Rescue for individuals in an effort to encourage citizens to adopt strays and give them a home. One of Goa’s most loved and anticipated events during the carnival, the Red & Black dance organized by Clube Nacional witnessed enthusiastic participation. The festival saw participation of young and old-timers dressed in their colourful costumes for the fancy dress competition with the first prize being taken away by Neil Roy Menezes.
