With festival season around the corner, Vijayawada MP Kesineni Sivanath (Chinni) said on Wednesday that simultaneous events will provide an opportunity to showcase the city’s hospitality and cultural vibrancy to visitors from across the country, as the city will host Saras Mela, Dasara Sarannavaratri festivities, and Vijayawada Utsav 2.0.

The Saras Mela, being organised by the Centre, would be held at Punnami Ghat from October 13-30 on around 18 acres, he said, adding that President Droupadi Murmu will attend the event as the chief guest on October 15.

Women self-help groups from different States will be permitted to set up around 650 stalls, drawing the attention of nearly 2,500 representatives to participate. The stall-allocation process was being conducted online, the MP said, adding that the mela will be a platform for women's self-employment and economic empowerment, supporting Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu's vision of encouraging entrepreneurship.

A food festival featuring traditional cuisines from different States will be another attraction at the Saras Mela.

Chief Ministers of various States, Union Ministers and other prominent personalities are expected to visit Vijayawada, with invitations already extended to several dignitaries. The schedules of some visiting Chief Ministers are yet to be finalised, he said.

However, heavy security deployment during the VIP movement in the city can cause some inconvenience to the public, he said, appealing to people and the media to cooperate with the authorities.

The government will organise competitions for children and youngsters in over 50 categories at Tummalapalli Kalakshetram as part of Vijayawada Utsav 2.0, he said. The ongoing Andhra Pradesh-Karnataka Ranji Trophy match in Vijayawada, with international-level cricketers and prominent personalities expected to attend, will be another attraction for the city, he said.