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. goapeople.in 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
. goapeople.in
. Fenny Fever

Food Fare
. Ana Maria's Goan Kitchen
. Bernie's 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. Agnelo's 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