Nagpur: A food festival showcasing cuisine from all over Maharashtra will be held in the city from December 20 to 25. Giving an outline of the event, MTDC general manager Swati Kale said that it is being organized to promote Nagpur as a food city.
"We are approaching self-help groups, especially of women in the business of preparing authentic Maharashtrian recipes and food items, for this festival. We hope to have stalls of not just Saoji and Varhadi food, but are inviting experts in Khandeshi, Malwani, Konkani, Kolhapuri, Marathwada food," Kale said. The general manager along with local officials of MTDC held a meeting with various hotel and restaurant owners in the city and also other stakeholders to promote the festival. "We have asked them to spread awareness about this event by putting up posters giving details of the food festival at their establishments," she said.
The venue for the food festival will be the premises of SCZCC, where at least fifty stalls will be put up. MTDC will be collaborating with Lokmata Sumatitai Suklikar Smruti Pratishthan to execute this event with a budget of Rs 50 lakh. "We are also planning to put up stalls of various spices, processed food, and organic products which are special to our state," Kale added.
The timing of the festival will be between 6 and 10pm, except on December 24 and 25, when it will be open the entire day.
"We will be organizing cultural events on the sides of the festival at the venue, where local upcoming artists will be invited to hold musical concerts and students of LAD college will present a fashion show," Kale said. She added that MTDC was planning to rope in a celebrity for the inaugural day, though it would be chief minister Devendra Fadnavis who would inaugurate the event.
This is the second edition of the food festival being organized in the city by MTDC. Last year, it had collaborated with VED for a similar event with a budget of Rs25 lakh. But the festival ran into rough weather due to some acrimony between VED and an event manager hired by them to organize it. "This year, minister of state for tourism Madan Yerawar is taking a personal interest in this festival. We have a firm grip on the event, and we hope to make it a success this time," Kale added.
"We are approaching self-help groups, especially of women in the business of preparing authentic Maharashtrian recipes and food items, for this festival. We hope to have stalls of not just Saoji and Varhadi food, but are inviting experts in Khandeshi, Malwani, Konkani, Kolhapuri, Marathwada food," Kale said. The general manager along with local officials of MTDC held a meeting with various hotel and restaurant owners in the city and also other stakeholders to promote the festival. "We have asked them to spread awareness about this event by putting up posters giving details of the food festival at their establishments," she said.
The venue for the food festival will be the premises of SCZCC, where at least fifty stalls will be put up. MTDC will be collaborating with Lokmata Sumatitai Suklikar Smruti Pratishthan to execute this event with a budget of Rs 50 lakh. "We are also planning to put up stalls of various spices, processed food, and organic products which are special to our state," Kale added.
The timing of the festival will be between 6 and 10pm, except on December 24 and 25, when it will be open the entire day.
"We will be organizing cultural events on the sides of the festival at the venue, where local upcoming artists will be invited to hold musical concerts and students of LAD college will present a fashion show," Kale said. She added that MTDC was planning to rope in a celebrity for the inaugural day, though it would be chief minister Devendra Fadnavis who would inaugurate the event.
This is the second edition of the food festival being organized in the city by MTDC. Last year, it had collaborated with VED for a similar event with a budget of Rs25 lakh. But the festival ran into rough weather due to some acrimony between VED and an event manager hired by them to organize it. "This year, minister of state for tourism Madan Yerawar is taking a personal interest in this festival. We have a firm grip on the event, and we hope to make it a success this time," Kale added.
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