The Goan Carnival.

Panaji, Feb 2022: The city of Panjim will come alive later this month in the spirit of Carnival and don a colourful look as citizens come together to celebrate Panjim City Carnaval - a four day extravaganza between 26 Feb and 1st March 2022.

"The Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) has planned a series of events across the city along with industry stakeholders, citizens and community champions. Like previous years, this year too citizens, establishments and the city authority will join forces to celebrate and revive the nostalgia of the years gone by, explained Agnelo Fernandes, Commissioner of the City of Panaji.

"The float parade will kick off at 3.00pm and will have several categories including Traditional, Club and Institutions, Family, Junk and Jokers", he added.

The centrally located Jardin Garcia de Orta will transform into the Samba Square during the four day celebration so that people can come together and celebrate the festivities in true Samba style.

This year the city has added other venues - the newly renovated walkway along the Miramar beach and other venues around the city. In addition, cycle tours and walking trails will be held in the city.

Explained Vincent Ramos, Area Director, Taj Group of Hotels, "The Food and Beverage trade community has come together to support the city authorities in the efforts. Hotels, restaurants and culinary hotspots across the city have planned to bring the flavour of carnaval into their establishments by curating special carnival themes menus and decor to celebrate the efforts of the city. We at the Taj are going to be putting in all efforts to offer a wonderful experience to residents and visitors. We are also going to be bringing in a food truck all the way from Mumbai to be part of the Carnaval culinary extravaganza. "

"A culinary extravaganza with a host of food stalls and culinary pop-ups has also been planned at Samba Square and Miramar beach front. A dedicated zone is being created for local culinary entrepreneurs or 'foodpreneurs' in an effort by the city to encourage them and offer the foodpreneurs a platform to showcase their creations," explained Prahlad Sukhatankar, restauranter and owner of Blacket Market.

This year Samba Square will see a pop-up bazaar as colourful and quirky as the Carnaval itself featuring products by talented entrepreneurs from the state.

All the venues will feature acts and performances by a host of musicians from across age groups. From konkani language artists to local bands and khel tiatrs to stand up comedians, the venues will be buzzing with music and dance through the event.

Bookworm has planned a host of activities for children of all age groups at the Samba Square. Activities include art workshops, craft sessions, creative games and more. A stray dog adoption zone is also planned where interested individuals can come in to adopt a furry stray and give it a home.

The four day extravaganza will include a vintage car rally, a mobile alvorada winding down the streets, culinary food and heritage trails, pop-up eateries, music and dance.

The traditional Red & Black street dance which is generally held on the last day of the carnaval celebration will be held on the 1st of March 2022. The Goa Carnival is the most unique festival in the culturally vibrant and rich state of Goa.

Panjim City Carnaval To Bring Back The Traditional Alvorada

Panaji, Feb 2022: This year, in an attempt to recreate the beauty of traditions of our past, and to herald the beginning of the Carnaval and the festivities to follow, the 2022 Panjim City Carnaval will witness the age-old Alvorada in action. Alvorada in Portuguese means “awakening" or "the sunrise". The Alvorada is music played in a brass band by locals in Goa at the crack of dawn on the day of any feast, at dawn to wake up the people and to herald the good times to come during Carnaval. This peculiar style of music is known to reverberate through the villages long after the musicians have played their last note for the morning.

"The Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) has planned a series of events. This includes an Alvorada which will wind through the bylanes and streets of the city and spread some joy and cheer during the festivities”, said Agnelo J Fernandes, Commissioner of the City of Panaji.

This year, to pay homage to the Alvorada, a flatbed truck will be decorated and it will carry a brass band that will perform traditional Goan tunes as it drives through the city and its surrounding areas between 6 am to 8 am. Post this, the decorated truck will be parked at a busy pedestrian area and will give locals and tourists a chance to photograph themselves with a tiny part of our history.

The city of Panjim is gearing up to celebrate Carnaval between 26 Feb and 1st March 2022 with celebrations planned across the city.

The Beach Carnaval to put the spotlight on local 'foodpreneurs'

Panaji, Feb 2022: The pandemic has been tough on many. During the pandemic many people have turned into foodpreneurs, opening small-scale, ‘athome’ businesses offering a variety of food. These ventures are largely driven by passion. The Panjim City Carnaval has decided to put the spotlight on foodpreneurs this year in an effort by the city to encourage them and offer the foodpreneurs a platform to showcase their creations.

"The Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) has partnered with FIERCE Kitchens, India’s First Culinary Incubator based in Goa to create 'The Beach Carnaval' - a dedicated zone for local culinary entrepreneurs or 'foodpreneurs' at the newly renovated walkway along the Miramar beach. 'The Beach Carnaval' will feature a host of local entrepreneurs who can put up their culinary creations at the venue," explained Agnelo Fernandes, Commissioner of the City of Panaji.

FIERCE Kitchens, the country's first culinary incubator is a collaboration between the Atal Incubation Centre at Goa Institute of Management (AIC-GIM) and Kamaxi College of Culinary Arts (KCCA), Verna.

"The city of Panjim is a leading tourist destination and a melting pot for global cuisine. From fine dining restaurants to culinary trails which offer unique experiences in the intimate setting of residents' homes, Panjim has much to offer. The Beach Carnaval event with the foodpreneur community at its core will add to the culinary experiences which Panjim has to offer," said Parixit Pai Fondekar, Founder, FIERCE Kitchens.

"On behalf of the city of Panaji and with the support and expertise of FIERCE Kitchens and us at AICGIM, we are keen to nominate the city of Panaji as one of the Creative Cities in the gastronomy sector of the ‘UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN)'. The Beach Carnaval is the first step in that direction," said Rajesh Joshi, CEO, AICGIM.

"The UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) was created to promote cooperation with and among cities that have identified creativity as a strategic factor for sustainable urban development. The 246 cities which currently make up this network work together towards a common objective: placing creativity and cultural industries at the heart of development plans at the local level and cooperating actively at the international level. Panjim is an ideal fit for this network, " added Joshi

"Moving forward with the vision to create foodpreneurs and culinary innovations that emerge from Goa, FIERCE Kitchens is delighted to partner with the CCP. The culinary incubator is focussed on creating an impact in the global spectrum with local foodpreneurs by providing chef entrepreneurs and home cooks with access to national and global markets and networks," said Fondekar.

The Beach Carnaval at Miramar beach will offer foodpreneurs and aspiring chef entrepreneurs a platform to exhibit and promote their ideas, products, and talent to a diverse audience that visits the Panjim carnival festivities each year. The event will also portray the culture, heritage, and welcoming spirit of Goa. The event will feature foodpreneurs ranging from home cooks, women micro entrepreneurs, pastry and bakery enthusiasts and other hobbyists in the culinary ecosystem. We aim to provide a platform to showcase the local and regional cooking talent to the audiences of the carnival.

The event will also feature local bands playing regional music in Konkani and English. The event is expected to draw a large audience of tourist as well as local audience and it will be a great opportunity for foodpreneurs and enthusiasts to expand their horizons and explore additional markets. We wish to receive continued support from the Corporation of City of Panjim for the event as well as subsequent events in the future towards the cultural enrichment of Panjim City.