For most youngsters in Goa, summer is usually a time when their thoughts revolve around the next step in their careers.
A group of young women from Margao, aged 24 and below, had something else on their mind though — a novel idea to beat the monotony of summer. Within a few days, these girls had set everyone abuzz with their plans that offered a change to the kind of events usually taking place in South Goa, especially in the heart of the city.
Their plan to host a Mid Summer Pop up Bazaar became the talk of the town and testament of that vibe was the crowd that travelled from across Goa to check what the hype was all about.
The Midsummer Pop-Up Bazaar was a one day affair held last Sunday (April 10) at Green Amaze, Gogol. The event eventually lived up to the expectations.
“The midsummer pop-up was one of its kind, we found it extremely vibrant, full of youth energy and bursting with creativity,” said one of the participants Aakarsha Kadam. “It was a good concept of gathering the young talent of Goa to showcase what they do best! A very warm management and some super cool performances and entertainment made it possible for us to pull it off in the heat,” Aakarsha added.
When asked about the turnout, the organisers gleefully revealed that the final numbers were much higher compared to what they had predicted.
The crowd included families and kids throughout the day, while a majority of the youth made their presence felt during the later part of the Pop-up.
While the occasion was one of fun, frolic, shopping, food and entertainment, the bazaar turned out to be a hangout spot for families and friends for that weekend with over 1,500 people checking out around 52 stalls.
The myriad of stalls included local designers, painters, books, jewellery, lamps, handmades and homemades, crockery, as well as food and confectionery (desserts and cupcakes).
The decor with the string lanterns and streamers gave it a look of a vintage bohemian fair while the set up of the tents was also appealing to the eye.
One of the reasons why the event became so popular is because of those people who had taken up these stalls. These were people from various backgrounds and age groups who had come together to showcase their talent. Many stalls sold out completely on their items.
Vanessa Almeida e Gonsalves, who had a stall called ‘My Little Pumpkin’, said the people who visited her stall were thrilled about the event as a whole and even asked if this was going to be a regular thing.
“Even the blazing sun couldn’t fry our spirit because of the fun we had today! My only regret was not getting a chance to check out the other stalls because we were so busy manning ours,” said Vanessa.
Kariza Rodrigues, whose stall was ‘Karizas Style Loft’ concurred with Vanessa about not getting a chance to peek around as the crowd kept her occupied at her stall throughout the day.
“The crowd was a good mix. This was an excellent idea and a good platform,” said Kariza while adding that she had a great sale with her painted pillowcases becoming a hit and her glass painted shot glasses getting sold out in the first two hours.
Tiffany Barros, who had a stalled named ‘Ribboned and Ready’, reiterated what the other stall holders expressed that the bazaar provided them an amazing platform.
“We were in love with the set-up and amazed by every little thing from the creativity of every stall to the hard work put in by these young girls to make this event exceptional,” said Tiffany.
As the sun began to sat, the crowd stayed back in the evening sitting on the lawn and soaking in the ambience and vibe.
The band Lemongrass, featuring Gretchen, entertained the crowd with their live upbeat music. A handful of Bharatnatyam performances were also held that captured people’s attention.
“We even extended the closing time from 6 pm to 7.30 pm as the crowd was enjoying themselves and we didn’t want them to stop,” said organiser Anushka Rodrigues.
“We also had constant contests, and spot prizes during the event that kept the visitors on their feet,” added co-organiser Karla Nadine Faleiro.
While Karla and Anushka were joined by their friends who volunteered, a conversation with this group revealed they just wanted to have fun and from day one till the final event it was the roller coaster ride for them.
When asked if they were planning on continuing their event given that their initial idea was for it to be one time event, the group said that based on the feedback they got, they would definitely be doing this again. They plan on making it a bi-annual event.
