A new festival, ‘Panjim Potluck’, celebrating food, music and local talent, will debut in the capital on May 16–17 at Jardim Garcia de Orta, Panaji, from 5 p.m. onwards.
The event is curated by founder of Bla Bla Bla Entertainment Mosaic Johnson in collaboration with the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP).
Johnson says the idea came out of earlier youth programmes in the city. He says, “The mayor, Rohit Monserrate and I have been working on a series of youth programmes, including acting classes, leadership training sessions and comedy workshops. Panjim Potluck came out of one of these discussions. I shared the idea with him and he encouraged us to go ahead.”
The festival is based on a potluck format, where people gather to share food
and experiences. Johnson says the event was created to showcase Goan heritage through homemade food. “Food has always been an emotional connection in Goan homes, where recipes carry stories and traditions across generations,” he says.
The festival will include home chefs, cloud kitchens, independent food creators, emerging brands, along with live music by Goan bands, DJs and open jamming sessions. The menu spans Saraswat dishes, Catholic ‘Maka Pao’ flavours, nostalgic street food, Goan fusion and a section for homemade desserts and baked treats.
Visitors can also enjoy interactive games, an Instagram garden and photo installations. Johnson says the biggest challenge was keeping the event authentic while coordinating multiple vendors and performers. The event proceeds will go to the National Association for the Blind.
Going forward, Johnson hopes to make this a regular event. He says, “We want people to leave having discovered something new, whether through the food, music or people they meet here.”
