A celebration of Caribbean culture, flavour and festivity returns to the grounds of the National Museum for the annual Mango Fest this Saturday, 5 July, on the George Town waterfront.
“We’re really excited about this year’s Mango Fest. It’s shaping up to be our most vibrant celebration,” Brian Watler, the museum’s marketing, events, and design coordinator, told the Cayman Compass.
The event, hosted annually by the National Museum and free to the public, celebrates the mango season and aims to support local culture, heritage, food and Cayman traditions.
Mango Fest will feature a wide variety of “fun-filled” activities, including demonstrations, mango peeling and mango eating competitions, mango-infused treats and local food, live music and dancing, as well as crafts and games under the fruity theme.
In addition to the culinary highlights, Watler said, “We’re looking forward to catboat rides in the harbour courtesy of the Catboat Club, mango tree grafting demos led by the Department of Agriculture, and a lively schedule of music and dance performances, including the UCCI Pandemix and Mambo Dance Company.”
A mango-licious collaboration
For this year’s celebration, the National Museum has partnered with expert chefs from Hotel Indigo Grand Cayman and Kimpton Seafire Resort + Spa for an exclusive live cooking demonstration with a mango focus from 2:00 to 2:30pm at the museum courtyard.
Watler said the collaboration with the hotels and the new live cooking demo have been “a wonderful development”.
“When the hotels approached us with their enthusiasm to participate, it quickly evolved into something special. Their passion for local culture and culinary creativity made them natural partners. It’s a perfect blend of culture and cuisine – and a chance to highlight the creativity and heritage that make this event so unique,” he said.
Hotel Indigo Pastry Chef Alisa Ali told the Compass, “Our mango tart celebrates Caribbean culture with the use of Julie mango in season – a sweet, firm, and fiberless variety that hints at pineapple flavours and leafy undertones.”
Anyone interested in signing up for the mango dessert competition must do so by visiting www.museum.ky/mangodessert.
The delicious debate
Organisers are inviting members of the public to cast their vote on which mango reigns supreme. A total of 49 votes have been cast so far in the poll with the Nam Doc variety currently in the lead. Voting ends on Saturday.
For more information, visit the National Museum’s website.
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