ASSAGAO TO CELEBRATE SUMMER WITH SPECIAL FEST
The month-long celebration of culture and community includes the Konkani Literature Fest
Goa, April 2026: For the full month of May 2026, from the first minute to the last, the famous village of Assagao in Bardez, Goa will celebrate summer in its fullest bounty. May is usually recognised as a month of boundless childhood energy and freedom from school routine. Assagao will celebrate summer this year with a special programme aptly titled the Summer Fest, organised by the Victor D’Mello Community Centre (VDCC) in the village’s Bounta Vaddo.
Conceived as a platform to bring the community together, Summer Fest 2026 will feature a diverse calendar of events designed for children, young adults and families. The initiative reflects the VDCC’s guiding philosophy of ‘Assagao-Goa First’, with a focus on creating inclusive spaces for engagement, learning and shared experiences for everyone, not just village residents, but neighbours and visitors too.
“Consider it a month-long festival of what it means to be young, not hooked to screen nor routine. Let kids be kids; let adults be kids again; it’s time to play,” said Alan D’Mello, founder, Victor D’Mello Community Centre.
The centrepiece of Summer Fest 2026 is the Konkani Literature Fest on 03 May (Sunday), a coming together of Konkani and Goan literatures’ biggest stars. The heart of this galaxy will be the great Shri Damodar Mauzo (Jnanpith 2022, Sahitya Akademi 1983, VVP Konkani Sahitya 2011). He will do triple duty as chief guest, host a workshop on story writing and serve as the main judge for the short story writing competition, the prize pool of which is set to exceed INR 15,000/- of cash, gifts and experiences.
Over a dozen leading authors and poets are confirmed to attend from Goa’s main literature groups such as the Goa Konkani Akademi, Konkani Bhasha Mandal, Dalgado Konknni Akademi and the Goa Writers group. The Konkani Literature Fest is open to all, especially the youth with interactions, readings, book signings and many more fun activities. The fest is an extended version of the Assagao Readers & Writers, which taking place monthly at the VDCC and other village venues.
The festival programme is built on the three core pillars of entertainment, community participation and learning-education, ensuring a balanced mix of skill-building activities and leisure experiences. The majority of events will be open to the public at no cost, reinforcing VDCC’s commitment to accessibility and community participation.
OTHER KEY HIGHLIGHTS OF SUMMER FEST 2026
o ART: 04 workshops, 02 exhibitions, 01 community mural, 01 competition (Prizes +INR 50,000/-)
o NATURE: 02 horticulture workshops
o MUSIC: 01 dance workshop, 01 live music performance
o HEALTH: 02 yoga workshops
o TECHNOLOGY: 02 computer workshops
o ENTERTAINMENT: 04 movie nights, 04 housie nights, 02 Goan social media star meet-ups
o GAMES: 07 online multi-player meet-ups, 08 board game championships
o LITERATURE: 150+ new books (06-21 ages) added to the library
o TRADE: 01 local market day
