On 9th April 2019, RedX turned a simple Tuesday evening into a bustling night of food, fun and frolic. As the temperature dipped ever so slightly, and the humidity lingered, the aesthetic ambience along with the great spread of food and live music, lifted the spirits of the students.

Be it deserts, burgers or chaat, this food festival had a variety of quick and delicious treats to offer. Dolce Bakery’s decadent chocolate brownies were a crowd favourite and sold out very soon into the event. Hailing from Udupi, Dolce is a small family owned bakery business and an established favourite among the students of Manipal. At the end of the taste spectrum—and the row of stalls—stood the all-time favourite chaat stall. Guaranteed never to be short of a crowd to serve, this stall was as popular as ever. Though Food Court 2 is an innate part of the university and is visited by a large group of students multiple times a day, it still managed to occupy two tents for itself. Serving combos and more, it gave students the filling dinner that they had been waiting for.

Bingeyard’s trusty food truck was present as usual, cementing its status as a Manipal fest essential. The crowd also hoarded fries and plates of pasta from Country Inn’s stall. There was also an added element of competition to the fest, with multiple food games like the golgappa eating challenge being conducted. A well-decorated photobooth was set up to capture moments from the evening, with the addition of polaroids being a pleasant surprise.

However, food stalls were not the only thing that had people’s attention. The live acoustic music presented by Chords & Co and Mafia had the crowd jamming, with everything from the soft beats of Billie Eilish and Sia to the allegros of Amitabh Bhattacharya. The Rogue Project, a student dance crew, also made a brief appearance, providing a pleasant distraction from the harsh humidity in the air, even if it was just for a few minutes. Akhilesh, a first-year student, on being asked how he enjoyed the performances, replied—“Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” in a sing-song voice.

“Most of the lighting and stalls were paid for by the rent that we collected from the food vendors”,  said organiser Shambhavi Garde when asked about how the event was financed. On being asked  how the profits from the fest would be used, she went on to say, “If we are able to turn a profit after looking into the finances of the event, we will use it in our social activities conducted throughout the year at local government schools or orphanages.”

Despite all the great food and frolic, the anchors for the live events nearly lost their audience for the bad puns they made. RedX also attempted a flashmob, but their recreation of Macarena to the Ketchup song left the audience with mixed feelings.

RedX managed to keep the crowd happy and satisfied throughout the fest. They even made sure that all cricket lovers didn’t miss out on the match of the night. A live screening of Kolkata Knight Riders versus Chennai Super Kings brought a large crowd to the basketball court. It was the perfect atmosphere to watch a game of cricket, under beautiful fairy lights accompanied by good food. In the midst of a long week filled with assignments, lab exams, the Food Fiesta definitely gave students a bit of a breather.

Picture Credits: The Photography Club, Manipal