Samba Square brings together people from all walks of life

Thousands of Goans and tourists alike are flocking to the Samba Square festival hosted as part of the Goa Carnival in Panaji. Held from Saturday to Tuesday, the four-day gala event saw music performances by Goa’s top bands and musicians, including the much loved Lorna, who enthralled the crowd on day one of the event, with her Konkani hits. Several other bands like Lynx, Crimson Tide, Brothers in Arms, Uzo, Forefront and others performed during the following days too.
“We have focussed on making the festival a more family oriented space. We have a kids area with bouncy castle, trampoline and other activities, for kids. Apart from what usually happens, we had archery, the pop up bazaar and even had a pet adoption camp. The response has been amazing. We have two food trucks inside the festival area. People are loving all the food stalls. We’ve tried to retain the spirit of the festival and only make it better,” says Mackenzie Pereira who’s helping with the event.
After two years, the carnival was hosted on a large scale once again. Alvaro says, “After two years, it was great to see people being out and about.” Dilys adds, “The vibe that the Goa Carnival has created at the Samba Square is inclusive. I’m sure people of all walks of life are having a great time here. I really liked the stalls, music, ambiance and food area.” Mavil Maulingkar, “The organisation and set up of the carnival was well done. I’m genuinely happy that Carnival was held this year. The whole community came together. There was a pet adoption camp too. Lorna hyped us up as well.”
The Pop It Up event happening at the Panaji garden has brands ranging from clothing, jewelry, home decor, ready to make BBQ kits, sustainable products and clothing and packaged food like preserves, pickles etc. “We have 50 brands on board and giving young entrepreneurs a platform to get visibility and sales. The first day saw the biggest crowd,” says Natasha Parekh, who organises Pop It Up. Yashika Chopra, who runs an organic pickles and condiments brand says, “This is a versatile platform that allows us to interact with people
discovering new organic brands. I can offer tasting of my products, which helps people to understand why my brand stands out from other pickles and condiments brands.” Shruti who runs food and condiments brand adds, “It’s the first time I’ve experienced the Carnival and the energy is insane. The footfall has been good and this has helped us create awareness for our brand.”
Aditya, who runs a contemporary apparel label says, “We get inspired from our travels and create something unique to remember the place by. So if was apt for us to be at the Carnival and experience the markets and culture. It’s always exciting for hear what people feel about our creations, and introduce the brand to locals.”
The food stalls feature an array of cuisine, from Goa’s top restaurants to home chefs coming to the forefront. Ajanta Burman, a Bengali cuisine specialised chef who has a stall at the carnival says, “The authorities are supporting entrepreneurs like me. It is helping me to establish myself as a Bengali cuisine specialised chef and widen my customer base. The response is overwhelming and so positive. We’ve seen a great crowd on all days.”