Getting some tasty local food at the 2019 Festival Cultural Food Fair held in the parking lot of Central Administration Complex on August 2, 2019. Photo: VINO

Minister for Education, Culture, Youth Affairs, Fisheries and Agriculture, Dr The Honourable Natalio D. Wheatley aka ‘Sowande Uhuru’, savouring a bottle of rich star fruit juice by Linda Allen. Photo: VINO

Local produce at the 2019 Festival Cultural Food Fair in the parking lot of Central Administration Complex on August 2, 2019. Photo: VINO

Some of the booths at the 2019 Festival Cultural Food Fair in the parking lot of Central Administration Complex on August 2, 2019.

Another one of the booths offering food and drinks at the 2019 Festival Cultural Food Fair in the parking lot of Central Administration Complex on August 2, 2019. Photo: VINO

Local produce at the 2019 Festival Cultural Food Fair in the parking lot of Central Administration Complex on August 2, 2019. Photo: VINO

Items by Arona's Market Place. Photo: VINO

Custom-designed clothing! Photo: VINO

Items by Arona's Market Place. Photo: VINO

Shooting Stars Steel Orchestra in musical action. Photo: VINO

Shooting Stars Steel Orchestra in musical action. Photo: VINO

Shooting Stars Steel Orchestra in musical action. Photo: VINO

Shooting Stars Steel Orchestra in musical action. Photo: VINO

Shooting Stars Steel Orchestra in musical action. Photo: VINO

Shooting Stars Steel Orchestra in musical action. Photo: VINO

Shooting Stars Steel Orchestra in musical action. Photo: VINO

Shooting Stars Steel Orchestra in musical action. Photo: VINO

The place to be for lunch on August 2, 2019 was the Festival Cultural Food Fair in the parking lot of Central Administration Complex in Road Town. Photo: VINO

Juice Natural by Linda Allen. Photo: VINO

A sold out Fisherman's Booth at the Festival Cultural Food Fair in the parking lot of Central Administration Complex on August 2, 2019. Photo: VINO

Scenes from the 2019 Festival Cultural Food Fair in the parking lot of Central Administration Complex on August 2, 2019. Photo: VINO

Scenes from the 2019 Festival Cultural Food Fair in the parking lot of Central Administration Complex on August 2, 2019. Photo: VINO

Scenes from the 2019 Festival Cultural Food Fair in the parking lot of Central Administration Complex on August 2, 2019. Photo: VINO

Scenes from the 2019 Festival Cultural Food Fair in the parking lot of Central Administration Complex on August 2, 2019. Photo: VINO

Scenes from the 2019 Festival Cultural Food Fair in the parking lot of Central Administration Complex on August 2, 2019. Photo: VINO

Scenes from the 2019 Festival Cultural Food Fair in the parking lot of Central Administration Complex on August 2, 2019. Photo: VINO

Scenes from the 2019 Festival Cultural Food Fair in the parking lot of Central Administration Complex on August 2, 2019. Photo: VINO

Scenes from the 2019 Festival Cultural Food Fair in the parking lot of Central Administration Complex on August 2, 2019. Photo: VINO

Scenes from the 2019 Festival Cultural Food Fair in the parking lot of Central Administration Complex on August 2, 2019. Photo: VINO

Scenes from the 2019 Festival Cultural Food Fair in the parking lot of Central Administration Complex on August 2, 2019. Photo: VINO

Scenes from the 2019 Festival Cultural Food Fair in the parking lot of Central Administration Complex on August 2, 2019. Photo: VINO

Scenes from the 2019 Festival Cultural Food Fair in the parking lot of Central Administration Complex on August 2, 2019. Photo: VINO

Scenes from the 2019 Festival Cultural Food Fair in the parking lot of Central Administration Complex on August 2, 2019. Photo: VINO

Scenes from the 2019 Festival Cultural Food Fair in the parking lot of Central Administration Complex on August 2, 2019. Photo: VINO

Scenes from the 2019 Festival Cultural Food Fair in the parking lot of Central Administration Complex on August 2, 2019. Photo: VINO

Scenes from the 2019 Festival Cultural Food Fair in the parking lot of Central Administration Complex on August 2, 2019. Photo: VINO

Scenes from the 2019 Festival Cultural Food Fair in the parking lot of Central Administration Complex on August 2, 2019. Photo: VINO

Scenes from the 2019 Festival Cultural Food Fair in the parking lot of Central Administration Complex on August 2, 2019. Photo: VINO

Scenes from the 2019 Festival Cultural Food Fair in the parking lot of Central Administration Complex on August 2, 2019. Photo: VINO

Scenes from the 2019 Festival Cultural Food Fair in the parking lot of Central Administration Complex on August 2, 2019. Photo: VINO

Scenes from the 2019 Festival Cultural Food Fair in the parking lot of Central Administration Complex on August 2, 2019. Photo: VINO

Scenes from the 2019 Festival Cultural Food Fair in the parking lot of Central Administration Complex on August 2, 2019. Photo: VINO

Scenes from the 2019 Festival Cultural Food Fair in the parking lot of Central Administration Complex on August 2, 2019. Photo: VINO

Scenes from the 2019 Festival Cultural Food Fair in the parking lot of Central Administration Complex on August 2, 2019. Photo: VINO

Scenes from the 2019 Festival Cultural Food Fair in the parking lot of Central Administration Complex on August 2, 2019. Photo: VINO

Scenes from the 2019 Festival Cultural Food Fair in the parking lot of Central Administration Complex on August 2, 2019. Photo: VINO

Some 28 booths occupied the western wing parking lot, offering entertainment, fresh local produce, arts and craft, natural medicine, ice cream, custom designed clothing, fresh fish and of course food and drinks.

Added to the entertainment were pole plaiting and pole wrapping.

A number of persons supported the expanded event at its new and more spacious location, and soon enough the local food booths had most of their items sold out.

Even the fishermen had to call it an early day as their packed cooler of pot fish was soon empty.

An opportunity to showcase

For many persons, the food fair provided an opportunity to showcase their local products and hopefully gain new customers.

One such entrepreneur was Linda Allen who sells a variety of richly made local juice under the brand Juice Natural. These ‘preservatives-free’ juices include starfruit, ginger, guava, sorrel, golden apple, soursop and tamarind.

Ms Allen does not currently have an established place of business for her products but persons can order their juices by calling 1284-541-1333 or emailing beautydimples@hotmail.com.

One of the persons who savoured a bottle of rich Juice Natural starfruit juice was Minister for Education, Culture, Youth Affairs, Fisheries and Agriculture, Dr The Honourable Natalio D. Wheatley aka ‘Sowande Uhuru’, who made his rounds to the various booths, meeting, greeting and sampling, before heading back to the sitting of the House of Assembly (HoA).

Excellent & well organised

Hon Wheatley described the Cultural Food Fair as “excellent and well organised.”

The minister responsible for culture said he was particularly fond of the new location since it provides more space for vendors and performances. The Festival Cultural Food Fair was previously held, a ‘stone’s throw away’, at the Noel Lloyd Positive Action Movement Park.

“And I thought that it had some excellent performances, the kind of cultural depiction we had about the slavery and the Negro spirituals. It was really fantastic.”

Hon Wheatley commended the organisers of the event, saying “I have seen that persons have done a good job of bringing all types of cultural creations. I had some cassava chips, that was very nice, and you have some of the different juices, the soursop juices. I got some gooseberry juices, passionfruit and star fruit. It is going well.”

Heavy showers after 3:00 pm forced an early stoppage to the Cultural Food Fair but at that time, all the programmes for the day were completed and some of the booths were preparing to pack up.