By JADE RUSSELL

jrussell@tribunemedia.net

THE International Culture Wine and Food Festival made its comeback over the weekend after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic.

The festival celebrated its 25th anniversary at Collins House gardens on Collins Avenue on Saturday and the event continued on Sunday.

This year, the festival was completely digital with the usage of the Sand Dollar as the currency of choice for purchasing items within the event.

Janet Johnson, president of the ICWFF, acknowledged some issues festival-goers faced at the cashless event but said with change comes challenges. She said they were taking steps to mitigate the issue.

Asked if she was aware of some of the issues people faced with the Sand Dollar, she said: “Yes, we are. But there’s always challenges when you’re making a change. So we anticipated that and we’re trying to mitigate the situation to make it comfortable for everybody.

 “And to also make sure that they have an excellent experience when they go to the booths and they want to purchase that it’s seamless. It’s a tap and pay.”

 Some people complained on social media about having to use apps to make purchases at the festival, saying the wifi was spotty at times which hindered business. However, other people said their preloaded digital wallets worked seamlessly at the event.

 Ms Johnson explained why the festival went digital.

 “With digital it’s more efficient, in that every transaction that’s taking place is being recorded automatically. So the vendor knows exactly how much they’re making. And it’s all recorded.

 “They don’t have to track it, it’s all automated. So it’s helping their businesses and taking them to another level in the business experience. “

 She also said: “This is the first all digital festival. So it’s something that Bahamians should be proud of and I’m glad to see that so many have come in to try it.”

 There were 130 booths ranging from different cuisines and countries that participated in the cultural event. Among participants included Italy, Trinidad & Tobago, Mexico, China, Peru, Jamaica, India, and others.

 On the first official day of the event, there were scores of people anxiously waiting to get inside.

 Ms Johnson expressed her excitement for the festival to finally be back after two years.

 “We’re so grateful we are back and looking at these lines, obviously the public has been yearning for something like this.”

 She added: “We are here at the Collins House gardens, it’s our first time here, we have been at the Botanical Gardens for 24 years. This is our silver jubilee, and we were sad not to be there for that milestone. But we are happy to be here, and people liked the site very much.”

 Ms Johnson said they found out weeks before the festival that Botanical Gardens would not be ready in time due to the site being under massive construction, however ICWFF was grateful to be at Collins House.

 China’s Ambassador to The Bahamas Dai Qingli who worked in the Chinese Embassy’s booth said she was pleased to be a part of the festival. She added it was a fantastic opportunity to show the Chinese culture and to interact with others.

 The Trinidad & Tabago booth was represented by the Lime at Home Restaurant staff who said they were excited to participate in their first year at the festival. The owner along with her workers made fresh roti and other dishes.

 Chef Emmanuel Gibson of Mañuelo’s said the event was a great platform for businesses, noting it was a great place to display Bahamian cuisine.