Being a fully multicultural state, numerous festivals and events are observed in Goa which involves a lot of passion. Most of these take place every year and are attended by a large number of locals and tourists. Along with dancing, music and yummy food, you can appreciate incredible acts by world class DJ’s, enjoy array of alcoholic beverages and fireworks throughout the occasions. Below are a few of the most notable festivals which should definitely be attended in Goa.
Goa Food and Cultural Festival – This five day festival occurs between the months of March and February each year. The festival primarily focuses particularly on the well-known seafood of Goa and the regional cuisine. The cuisine of the state is as popular as painting, dancing, poetry and music. The cuisine is an ideal mixture of Indian and western culinary styles, with particular concentration on the seafood. The festival sees several booths, from the very best resorts to restaurants in the state offering delectable Goan food. Besides that, many stalls also offer other kinds of bites, ice creams as well as aerated and alcoholic beverages. For amusement, fireworks and many cultural programs occur throughout the festival. If you’re interested try to ask your travel operators to include this in your tour packages for Goa.
Goa Carnival – One of the most popular carnivals in the state, the Goa Carnival consists of bunches of frolic, fun and amusement for the visitors. There’s plenty of spice and excitement to be discovered throughout the festival. Often counted amongst the most visited ones, the carnival comes alive with brilliantly colorful groups of masked revelers, dancing and singing to lively music. With 4 days of non stop festivities, Goa Carnival brings a large number of visitors from all around the globe.
Shigmo Festival – Another popular event in the state, the Shigmo Festival of Goa also known as the Gulal Utsav is celebrated in a way much like the favorite festival of Holi. It is counted amongst the largest springtime events in the state, the festivities can go on for 14 straight days. Normally, the festival begins from the ninth moon day until the day of full moon and sees locals dressed up in colorful attire, clothing and enjoying to the joyous tunes of folk music.
GITM – The entire purpose of the GITM is to showcase Goa as a favorite vacation destination in India. The festival is held in the month of April every year and connects the interested hoteliers with prospective business persons and stakeholders. An enormous pavilion is put in place at the GITM that showcases various marriage destinations of Goa, its beaches, heritage sites, resorts, spice farms and the nightlife.
Goa Cashew and Coconut Fest – It is now a significant contributor to the economy of the state since Cashew was introduced in Goa. Likewise, Coconut is also a significant part of the Goan market. The event plans to market Goa as a year round vacation destination and occurs in the month of May. Lots of coconut and cashew handcrafted products are showcased throughout the occasion with fun tasks like cashew stomping, coconut tree climbing etc.