Thousands of taste buds were tempted today as the City of Hamilton’s Taste of Bermuda festival came to a close with the Tasting Village at Victoria Park.

Along with dozens of food and drink vendors, attendees were able to enjoy live entertainment and watch cooking demonstrations at the park.

Reva Minors, of Loquat Roots, said that attendees had shown a great deal of interest in the company’s loose-leaf tea offerings.

“They all have health benefits, and everyone is on that natural medicine kick, so it has been good so far,” she said.

“We have some freshly brewed loquat leaf tea on offer and people have been interested in that. People know about the fruit, but not about the health benefits of the leaf.”

Ms Minors said some attendees had said they had stumbled upon the event and were interested in learning more about the various vendors.

“They are getting the business cards or leaflets, where they can find you or get your products,” she said. “It is great exposure.

“The atmosphere has been great. Powergirl Trina and the town crier are always good, promoting people and getting the crowd pumped. There are cooking demonstrations and a lot to do.”

Terreicay Richardson, of Wacky Waffle Bar, said that wet weather had led to a slow start, but once the sun was out Victoria Park began to fill up with people interested in sampling the various wares.

“Things are going pretty good in spite of this morning’s rain,” she said. “It has been pretty steady.

“Once people were sure the rain was gone, it got a lot busier.

“People seem to be thoroughly enjoying what we have, and particularly enjoying our mango Dark n’ Stormy waffle, but the chicken and waffle has been popular too.”

The event was originally scheduled to be held on Front Street, but after forecasts of strong winds, the City of Hamilton made the decision to move it to the more sheltered Victoria Park.

Krishna Singh, of Trini Spice, said the event was a fantastic opportunity for the public to learn more about what was available on the island and for vendors to spread the word about their products.

“People have come to us and said this was the first time they have tried doubles or rotis, so for us it is a good thing,” he said. “They get a taste of some good food and hopefully they come back.

“We have had some people come back for more. It’s that good.”

He said that the downpour earlier in the day may have kept some people away, but the crowds had grown once the skies cleared.

“We had some rain this morning and it was windy, but the sun is out now and so are the people,” Mr Singh said.

Malisa Swan, of the Bermuda Cupcake Company Snowball Shack, said that the day had started slow, but she was optimistic that the event would be a success.

“We had a slow start with the rain, but there’s a nice atmosphere,” she said. “It’s a good, fun family event.

“There’s a lot of great food around, and this is a good way for people to get the word out about their businesses. I look forward to this event every year.”

The Tasting Village was just one of several events held as part of the City of Hamilton’s three-day Taste of Bermuda Festival.

The City started festivities with a cocktail competition at the recently renovated Pier Six on Friday.

On Saturday, the event continued with the Front Street Formal Live Dining Experience, closing Front Street to assemble a massive dinner table with live entertainment.

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