Nassau, Bahamas – The much-anticipated Taste Our Bahamas Festival is set to become a signature event that draw thousands of food lovers to The Bahamas during the traditionally slow period.

Culinary Manager DeAnne Gibson likened the event to that of the South Beach food festival in Miami, Florida.

“This event is the first of many to come,” she said. “We are really excited that the Culinary Tourism market is really growing in The Bahamas. This year is the sampler and the building block to everything next year. It is going to be bigger and better and there will be more components to Culinary Month.”

Taste Our Bahamas is the cornerstone of Culinary Month.

The festival, which will be held on October 4th and 11th, will center around a competition between the 16 islands to determine which island has the best tasting food in the nation.

The all-day event will also feature a breakfast pavilion, culinary demonstrations, mixology demonstrations, a farmer’s market and a kiddies corner.

There will also be entertainment throughout the day including the national children’s choir, the Royal Bahamas Defense Force (RBDF), a live DJ, the All-Star Band, the Spank Band, Puzzle, Veronica Bishop and much more.

“We always say, ‘who has the best food?’ We would say, ‘my mummy, my grammy, my aunty, my uncle.’ Well that’s who is going to be out here. That’s the food that’s going to be representing the Islands of The Bahamas,” Ms. Gibson said.

“We are really excited to showcase our culture and our cuisine and we are excited to invite the tourists to enjoy down home Bahamian food and for those Bahamians who are on these diets and stuff this is the time to come out and treat yourself.”

There is no cover charge for the event, which will run from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.

“There is a lot to do throughout the day,” Ms. Gibson said. “There will not be a dull moment.”

Culinary Month will also feature a number of restaurants that will offer prix fixe menus all month long.

Taste Our Bahamas tour, the International Cultural Festival that will be held at Botanical Gardens on October 18 and 19 and Bahamas National Trust Wine and Art Festival on October 25 are also a part of Culinary Month.