Marina Park readies for two-day street food showcase

Sri Vijaya Puram is set to turn into a hub of flavours and community activity with the Sri Vijaya Puram Municipal Council announcing the Street Food Festival–2025, scheduled for December 6 and 7 near Marina Park. The two-day event will run from 3 pm to 10 pm and is being positioned as a platform to highlight the distinctive culinary traditions and evolving street food culture of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

According to the Municipal Council, the festival is aimed at bringing together residents, visitors and local food entrepreneurs in a shared public space while showcasing both traditional and innovative dishes drawn from the islands’ diverse cultural landscape. The venue near Marina Park has been chosen to accommodate footfall and enable easy access for the public, particularly during evening hours when participation is expected to peak.

Beyond food, the initiative has been planned with a wider civic and economic objective. The festival is intended to promote safe and hygienic street food practices, an area that civic authorities have been seeking to strengthen through awareness and engagement rather than regulation alone. Live demonstrations and interactive sessions are expected to form part of the programme, focusing on clean food handling, sustainable vending methods and responsible waste management.

Local vendors will be at the centre of the event, with the Municipal Council describing the festival as a valuable opportunity for small-scale entrepreneurs to display their culinary skills to a wider audience. By offering a structured and high-visibility platform, the administration expects the event to contribute to community-based economic development and enhance livelihood opportunities, particularly for informal sector vendors who often have limited access to organised markets.

The Street Food Festival is also being framed as a cultural experience rather than merely a food fair. The emphasis will be on celebrating local flavours that reflect the islands’ history, migration patterns and everyday food habits. Officials involved in the planning have indicated that the range of dishes on offer will include familiar street staples alongside newer interpretations, allowing visitors to experience both nostalgia and novelty within the same setting.

As a public event, the festival is expected to draw a mixed crowd of island residents, domestic tourists and visitors exploring Sri Vijaya Puram during the holiday season. The timing in early December aligns with increased tourist movement, which civic authorities believe could help position the festival as a recurring attraction on the local calendar.

The Municipal Council has extended an open invitation to residents, tourists and food enthusiasts to participate in the event and experience what it describes as the unique street food culture of the islands. With its blend of culinary display, hygiene awareness and community participation, the Street Food Festival–2025 is being projected as both a celebration and a step toward strengthening informal food enterprises within a structured civic framework.