The first-of-its-kind Riverfront Food Festival under way in Vijayawada has been drawing a sizeable number of people with the summer vacation for schoolchildren beginning recently.
The Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) planned the festival under the theme ‘Flavours of India’ with the objective of rejuvenating the riverfront area.
Set up alongside the serene waters of the Krishna at Punnami Ghat upstream Prakasam Barrage, the food festival features stalls set up by premium eateries across the city.
There are about 15 stalls, the majority of which were set up by star hotels and restaurant chains with a limited menu. While the eateries set their prices slightly lower than the restaurants at the festival, the fare was still on the expensive side, said visitors.
The food festival provides a vibrant ambience and a stage for cultural and dance performances. Many visitors feel that there are not many cuisines to explore. Millet dosas by a star hotel was an exception, they said.
“It took me just five minutes to go around all the stalls. The variety of food available was limited and a majority of them are regular items sold in the city. VMC could have arranged more stalls at affordable prices. One good thing about the festival is that the common man gets to taste food from the city’s star restaurants which we wouldn’t visit otherwise,” said K. Sai, a visitor.
