Day two of the 2024 Agricultural Exhibition brought a wave of visitors flooding the Botanical Gardens.

Children with families came out in droves to enjoy the Ag Show’s continued festivities with plenty of fresh faces appearing yesterday as schools closed for the day.

Jelena Thompson, 40, brought her sons Malakai, 8, and Jaylen, 7, for their second day at the Ag Show.

The Hamilton Parish resident said that her family visited every year and particularly enjoyed the food, shows and community aspect.

“There’s a lot of camaraderie and activity,” Ms Thompson said.

“We don’t get a lot of that throughout the year.

“Everybody’s waving and saying hello. It’s the place that you come to where you know you’ll see a lot of familiar faces, so it feels like home.

“It definitely feels like a place for the whole family.”

Ms Thompson, who has attended the Ag Show almost every year since she was a girl, said that she knew as an adult what might interest her children and hoped they would enjoy the same amazement.

She appreciated “the familiarity of the people you see, the creativity of the people you know”.

Ms Thompson said: “This is where a lot of those cultural connections that are part of what makes you Bermudian come from.”

Jaylen, when asked what he enjoyed, said: “I like the food and my favourite thing is the bouncy castle.”

Malakai, on the other hand, was taken with feeding the goats.

Alexis D’Angelo, 35, said that she brought her daughter, Aisy, to the Ag Show for the second time.

Her three-year-old’s favourite part was the animals, particularly chickens and baby goats.

Ms D’Angelo added: “I think she just loves being in on the action and seeing all the kids having fun.”

Ms D’Angelo, who only recently started attending the Ag Show, said that she liked the activities offered and the animal exhibits.

She added: “It’s been a fun place to meet up with friends and do something different.

“I think in Bermuda you don’t often have these big-scale events, so it’s really nice to have something that’s so exciting to come and see.”

Samantha Burgess, 35, said that her day turned out “better than we had expected” after a momentary shower that morning cleared up.

The mother of two added that they were drawn by the food and good weather but said she was a fan of the children’s performances.

Ms Burgess said that, although her boys had only been going for a handful of years, she knew it would make for fond memories.

“It’s something that they remember every year, so it’s definitely a cultural thing that they enjoy and can talk about.”

Ms Burgess added: “When we have visitors we know that this is somewhere that we can take them, like when we have our family back from England.

“It’s a staple — it let’s us know summertime is starting.”

As for her sons, Caius, 5, called the cotton candy his favourite part.

His brother, Cole, age 8, enjoyed seeing the “skinny chickens”.

Jesse DeCouto, 47, said that he was always amazed by the creative talent on display.

Mr DeCouto, who brought his wife and two daughters, was “deeply impressed” by the woodworking entries, including pieces from his son and nephew.

He added: “People don’t win money for the prizes, but the amount of work that they put into everything is so impressive.

“Without the exhibitors, there would be no Ag Show.”

Mr DeCouto, from Sandys, said that he and his wife had been coming to the Ag Show since they were children and were enjoying giving their children the same experience.

He said: “It’s nice to see what excites them.”

Mr DeCouto’s younger daughter, Anna, 7, said that her favourite part was the horse show. She hoped to one day ride in the show and, later, become a judge.

Some attendees expressed disappointment that the pig display, a popular attraction at the event, was empty this year.

The Department of Parks, which organised this year’s event, said that the problem came down to a small pool of contestants to choose from.

A spokesman explained: “The traditional pig display could not be featured this year due to a decline in the number of pigs on the island and the unavailability of the regular supplier.

“It is understood that this change may disappoint attendees who look forward to this aspect of the exhibition.”

He added: “Efforts are being made to ensure the return of this popular display in future editions of the exhibition.

“Appreciation is extended for the community's understanding and support during this time.”

The Ag Show gets its final showing today.