A festival designed to showcase Cayman’s huge variety of mangoes attracted its biggest number of visitors and stallholders ever.
Organisers said estimates showed almost 1,000 people visited the event, which also attracted a record 47 businesses, from farmers to artists and craftspeople.
Veerle Poupeye, the museum director, said the visitor numbers to the ninth festival were about double the 2025 numbers, which also set a record.
Poupeye added that the 411 visitors to the museum also smashed the previous all-time high of 258 for the Cayman Art Week’s George Town night two months ago.
She said, “We actually had to stop admissions for a while as it was getting too crowded inside, and then let in new people when others had left.”
She added, “Mango Fest started as a relatively small seasonal initiative … we are thrilled that it has grown into this exuberant celebration of all things mango and all things Caymanian.”
Poupeye said, “Mango Fest is a wonderful way to engage a large and diverse audience with what the museum has to offer in terms of programmes, events and exhibitions, and we feel that the needle has shifted in a very positive way.”
The Saturday, 4 July, event was held in and around the museum and its courtyard, and extended out along Seafarers Way and Goring Avenue.
Tourist Yusuf Adbulraheem, from Nigeria, took in the event with wife Fatima and daughters Khadija and Fatima.
He said, “It’s been good. Cayman is a lovely place – the people are welcoming, the weather is perfect and we’ve seen a lot of mangoes and crafts.
“It’s been fun, and it’s good music too.”
PJ Goldsmith, owner of charter boat company Six Senses Cayman Adventures, attended the event with Hannah Steele.
He said, “I’ve definitely enjoyed the ice cream and we took a tasting experience. It’s our first time at Mango Fest.”
Steele, who works at the Health Services Authority, added, “It’s been really nice –and it hasn’t rained, which has been good.”
Alisa Ali, a pasty chef at Hotel Indigo Grand Cayman and pasty chef de partie Grace Siy, dazzled the crowds with their skills at a demonstration plus tasting in the courtyard of the museum that focused on mango desserts.
Ali said the pair prepared a mango mascarpone mousse, a simplified version of the dish available as part of its limited time Catalina restaurant “Mangolicious Tasting Menu”, which will run until the end of the month.
The 150 sample dishes flew off the table as people took time out to devour the treats and also snapped up recipe cards so they could try their hand at making the mousse and other mango desserts at home.
Ali said, “It’s definitely been worth it. We’ve had a very good crowd and people were definitely interested in the demonstration we did preparing them.
“Indigo is a neighbourhood hotel and we take pride in getting to know our neighbours.”
Siy added, “I’ve been really busy, but it was really fun. It’s something new and everybody really liked it.”
Farming exhibitors included Willie’s Fresh Fruits and Juice, from Willie Ebanks’ Whistling Duck Farm in North Side, Coriander Farms and Ryan McGee’s R&N Supply.
McGee, who offers about 40 varieties of mango, was selling fruit, as well as mango juice and sauces.
He said, “I’m enjoying it. It helps to get the name out there as well.
“People tend to like local produce and as long as we can grow it, we will sell it.”
He added that the weather had not been good for mango growing this year, but that lower production meant farmers could sell all their produce.
McGee said, “Sometimes, if you have a really good year with mangoes, you do have a harder time selling them, but it hasn’t been like that this year.”
Tori Miller, the owner of Caymanera Cosmetics, got into the mango vibe with an exclusive lip gloss flavoured with the fruit.
Miller said, “I’m really enjoying the event. Mango is one of my favourite fruits, so being able to celebrate it here is great.”
Carlene Carter, of CC Arts and Crafts, was selling hats and other items made out of Cayman’s national tree, the silver thatch, for sale in a variety of outlets, including the museum.
She said, “I’m here so everyone can see what I sell and what I make. This is the biggest Mango Fest I’ve ever seen.”
Kara Julian, who owns Kara Julian Art, said, “It’s good to see a lot of people coming out and supporting local artists, crafters, farmers and restaurants promoting mangoes and mango season.
“People like to see the face behind the art work and I’ve been demonstrating some of my painting as well.
“When you interact with customers, talk about how you got started, the inspiration behind the work, it definitely helps.”
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