Patrons will receive full refunds for tickets or tokens purchased for two food festival events which had to be cancelled last weekend because of inclement weather.

In addition, the City of Hamilton has offered vendors an opportunity to sell food they prepared for the event on City Hall’s lawns this week.

The City said it was working with Ptix to provide the refunds in the coming days to all patrons who purchased tickets or tokens for the City Hall All-White Ball and the Tasting Village: Festival of Flavours events.

The City said on Friday it decided to proceed with Saturday’s dining experience, as forecasts indicated a potential break in the weather during the event.

However, as conditions deteriorated, it had no choice but to cancel both events for safety reasons.

A statement added: “The City understands the disappointment this has caused, particularly for those who dedicated so much effort to preparing for the events, but the risks presented by the weather required us to act with the safety of our vendors, attendees, and staff as our top priority.”

Tasting Village vendors have been notified by the City that they can sell their prepared items on the lawns of City Hall, free of charge, throughout the week.

They can set up stalls between 9am and 5pm from Monday to Friday and from 10am to 3pm on Saturday.

The City said it hoped the initiative would help vendors recoup any projected losses and provide exposure despite the cancellations.

In addition, it has partnered with the Hamilton Princess & Beach Club for any unused food from Saturday’s planned events to be donated to the charity Home, which supports the homeless community.

Jessica Astwood, director of marketing and communications, said: “We scheduled the event for October based on public feedback that holding it earlier in the year was too hot for outdoor activities.

“Unfortunately, the high winds and rain made it unsafe to tent the events or move them indoors without significantly compromising the overall experience.

“Additionally, we are mandated to keep our events within the City, and there was no venue large enough or with the required infrastructure to accommodate the number of attendees without significantly increasing the cost of tickets.”

Ms Astwood said the decision had been made after consultation with partners and stakeholders.

She added: “This decision was not made in isolation, and it certainly wasn’t made lightly. The safety of everyone involved was our top concern.

“While we explored various options, it wasn’t feasible to relocate the event or proceed under the given weather conditions.”

Despite the cancellations, the City said two Taste of Bermuda events — Thursday’s kick-off at Cambridge Beaches and the Art of the Pour bartender competition at Bacardi Headquarters on Friday — were “extremely successful”.

Both events were sold out and offered first-class experiences that set them apart from anything else on offer in Bermuda, the City added.

It said guests were treated to “unforgettable moments” showcasing the creativity and excellence that Taste of Bermuda is known for.

The City added that it was proud to work with local and international partners to make the world-class events accessible to the public.

It thanked its partners such as lead sponsor Mastercard, along with Bacardi Limited, Exclusive Group of Companies, Hamilton Princess & Beach Club, Burrows Lightbourn Ltd, and Barritts.