The Goan Festival 2009 was held at the Archbishop Lanfranc School, Mitcham Road, Croydon on Sunday 26th July 2009. The event also known to be UK's premiere Goan event started with Holy Mass at 12.15 pm. It was organised by the Goan Association in conjunction with Goan Organisations.
The event featured many Goan food stalls, organisations and lots of Entertainment in the form of Goan songs and folk dances. GoaHolidayHomes.com had a stall at this event and launched their Map and Guide To Goa. It did very well and there was a lot of positive response.
Chairman's Address
Year by year the Goan festival has been gaining in popularity as the one event which gets ticked off as a 'not to be missed' in one's diary. Barring the weather which is the one thing to look out that could keep the crowds away, we have been fortunate in having a good turnout.
This time we have taken on board your feedback following last year's event to the extent that we have introduced additional features to keep things ticking along. My committee has been active long in the planning and I cannot but commend them 'my band of volunteers' for staging such a mammoth festival. You will notice among the many items some revamped stage performances, additional portable toilets, enhanced gate management and two bars for provision of all sorts of beverages.
The Goan Association UK undertakes to make sure that the Festival takes place to provide a meeting together of Goans from whatever Goan organization/village association or whatever else they may be part of.
In that, I see the vision of hope that we are building a platform for you to share in our common Goan heritage. The ethos that we would like to portray is that a true Goan makes the best of whatever he has wherever he is and serving the country he/she is in.
Herbert Fernandes
Chairman
Organising Committee
The following stalls with goan food, drinks, gifts and more were present at the festival:
Commercial Publicity
GoaHolidayHomes.com
Fenny Fever
Food Fare
Ana Maria's Goan Kitchen
Bernies Goan Kitchen
Burmese & Filipino Cuisine
Carvalho Pickles
Cozhino De Bella
Del - Boys
Dos Santos Foods
Luiza Kitchen
Mai's Pickles
Mamma's Kitchen, Pappa's Bbq
Moira Zeyya
Pat Mendonca
Motto Mesta
Ravi Vaz
Shirley Kitchen
St.Diogo's Association
St. Francis Xavier (Swindon)
Viva Goa
Ice Cream & Faluda
Baptista Catering
Ice Cream Van
Publicity
A.V.C. Union
Fenny Fever
Goan Association (Uk)
Goan Voice
St. Diogo's Association
Ylgs
Fund-Raising
Friends Of Fr. Agnelos Association
Goan Welfare Society
Children's Entertainment
Bouncy Castle
Tuition (Dancing)
Goan Lancers (In The Main Hall - After Mass)
Others Stalls
Botelho Brothers - Kids Toys & Sweets
Carvalho Team - Bar
Dazzling Jewellery/Clothing - Sales Of Clothing & Jewellery
Ethnic Silvery Jewellery - Craft
Goa Art Nail - Craft
Goan Association (Uk) - Carrom
Goan Association (Uk) - Hoopla
Goan Association (Uk) - Public Relations
Merv's Mobile Bar - Bar
Metropolitan Police - Information
Rainbow Children's Services - Face Painting & Children's Craft
Red Cross - First Aid
Say One, Do One - Sales Of Cd's & Dvd's
Unique Arts And Crafts - Craft
