Mizoram has opened its 2026 festival season with the launch of the state’s first ‘Pluck & Pay’ Festival in Tualte and Chawngtlai villages of Khawzawl district. The three-day event, running from September 23 to 25, combines farm tourism, local culture and community-based enterprise.
The festival gives visitors an opportunity to enter local farms, pick fresh fruits and vegetables themselves and pay the farmers directly. Organisers say the model can create stronger links between tourism and rural livelihoods while giving visitors a closer experience of village life in Mizoram.
First ‘Pluck & Pay’ festival in Mizoram
The Tourism Department of the Mizoram government and the Office of the Deputy Commissioner, Khawzawl, jointly organised the festival. Tourism Minister Lalnghinglova Hmar attended the inaugural programme and highlighted the role of local communities in the state’s tourism plans.
The concept is simple. Visitors travel to participating farms and orchards, select the produce they want and pay directly for what they harvest. This allows tourists to experience agricultural activities while giving farmers a direct opportunity to benefit from visitor spending.
The initiative also seeks to promote Khawzawl as more than a conventional sightseeing destination. Officials want visitors to experience the district’s farms, food, culture, people and natural surroundings through direct community participation.
Farms become part of the tourism experience
Several farms and orchards have opened their doors as part of the festival. Visitors can explore selected kiwi, passion fruit and tomato farms in Chawngtlai and harvest fresh produce themselves.
The festival also includes stalls displaying agricultural products and goods made by local artisans. These activities create additional opportunities for farmers, craftspeople and small businesses to connect with visitors.
The organisers are using the festival to demonstrate how tourism can support several parts of the rural economy at the same time. Spending by visitors can generate demand for farm produce, local food, handicrafts, guides, transport and other community-based services.
Culture and adventure added to festival
The event goes beyond farm visits. The three-day programme includes traditional Mizo music and dance, local cuisine, cultural performances and traditional recreational activities. Visitors can also take part in adventure activities such as ziplining.
The festival also offers opportunities to explore historical and tourist attractions around Tualte and Chawngtlai. These include Pathian Tlang, Nikuala Lungdawh, Zo Hill Station and Pasaltha Memorial sites.
A concert featuring Mizo artistes is also part of the programme, adding an entertainment component to the rural tourism experience.
Tourism minister highlights community benefits
Tourism Minister Lalnghinglova Hmar said the festival reflects the government’s broader approach to tourism development. He stressed the need to ensure that tourism creates economic opportunities for the communities that host visitors.
The minister said tourism should connect visitors with villages, farms, entrepreneurs and cultural communities. Under the ‘Pluck & Pay’ model, visitors can buy directly from farmers while also experiencing local food and culture.
The initiative therefore aims to keep a larger share of tourism-generated income within the destination. It also provides rural communities with an additional way to benefit from Mizoram’s growing visitor base.
Green approach at the festival
Organisers have also focused on environmentally responsible arrangements. During the inauguration, Hmar appreciated the decision to conduct the festival without single-use plastic and said efforts would be made to promote similar green festivals in the future.
This approach links the tourism programme with Mizoram’s natural environment. The state is known for its forests, hills and rural landscapes, which form an important part of its tourism appeal.
By combining farm experiences with cultural activities and environmental awareness, the festival seeks to create a tourism model that involves local communities directly.
New festival season brings more events
The ‘Pluck & Pay’ Festival marks the beginning of Mizoram’s 2026 festival calendar. Several other events are scheduled in the coming months, including the Anthurium Festival in Reiek, Hnahsin Kût in Champhai and Travel Fest in Aizawl. The wider calendar also includes the Leitlangpui Music Festival, Winter Festival, Tlaizawng Paradise Festival and Sakawrhmuituai Sunset Event.
The state is also seeing an increase in tourist arrivals. Official figures presented in the Mizoram Legislative Assembly showed tourist arrivals rising from 4,27,302 in 2024 to 8,41,322 in 2025.
The government now hopes to use this growing visitor interest to expand tourism beyond established destinations and bring more rural communities into the tourism economy.
The first ‘Pluck & Pay’ Festival provides a new example of that approach. By allowing visitors to experience farms, purchase produce directly and engage with local culture, Mizoram is opening its festival season with a tourism model centred on community participation and rural livelihoods.