Sunset City Food Fest

In response to the need for employment opportunities in the rural communities and to mitigate the negative effects resulting from the ravages of hurricane Ivan on the nutmeg industry, a number of communities are following the lead of the successful Gouyave Fish Festival.

As a result, a number of similar initiatives, such as the recently launched Sunset City Food Fest have been developed. This name is derived from the fact that Victoria, the capital town of the parish of St. Mark's, with an estimated population of four-thousand (4,000) people has become known as Sunset City, due to its celebration over the past 20-odd years of St. Mark's day.

As a result of the ravages of hurricane Ivan, the parish of St. Mark's lost at least 250 jobs in the nutmeg industry. Notwithstanding this setback the parish is blessed with a wide-range of tourist attractions with the potential to develop an attractive and educational tour itinerary suitable for both the cruise and stay-over sectors; among these natural attributes is the highest mountain peak in Grenada, Mt. St. Catherine; Amerindian artifacts in the form of petroglyphs; numerous small plantations, some of which are still operational; the remains of sugar factories; and numerous watercourses and waterfalls.

St. Mark's also has a rich sporting tradition, over the years having had numerous players represent the national team, thus engendering a sense of community pride and identity, especially among the younger generation. In the area of culture and arts, parishioners lament the demise of the Syncopaters Steel band, formerly the pride and joy of the parish. There is also a drumming group which occasionally performs at the nearby Gouyave Fish Friday.

The vision of the St. Mark's Development Committee (SMDC) is the provision of a monthly, Saturday evening, family-oriented offering of a melange of traditional Grenadian cuisine utilizing the natural ingredients and produce of the parish of St. Mark's. The overall objective of the Food Fest is the creation of job opportunities for residents; whilst fostering community pride and identity; and providing a welcoming cultural tourism attraction.

Given the fact that the Food Fest is already in its eight month of operation, having been initiated as a once-monthly activity, discussions with the vendors and the management of the St. Mark's Development Committee is aimed primarily at reviewing its operations to date and provide technical assistance and advice for its improvement and orderly development. The Sunset City Food Fest has extraordinary, eclectic and delicious foods to satisfy any taste! The foods include fish, chicken, pork and other meats; vegetables, calaloo soup, crabs, conches (lambi), Tania Log (a porridge prepared from root crops in a traditional manner), and even ice cream is offered on Diamond Street, which is the location of the festivities. The Monthly Food Fest offers local fruit juices and even alcoholic beverages ranging from local rum and beer, to other varieties of wines and spirits.

Some of the food items available are: Bakes, figs, breadfruit, Farine, Jacks and other Fish, the Grenada famous Oil-Down and roti's too!

Each time the Sunset City hosts a Food Fest there are new and unique special foods and drinks to be tasted and loved! Come every month to experience something new!

There are eight vendors providing Grenadian delicacies, including fish prepared in a wide variety of ways; local fruit juices and vegetables; and the most popular item the Tania Log, a porridge prepared from root crops in the traditional manner. The vendors are extremely knowledgeable in the preparation and care needed to create such amazing dishes. They all live in St. Mark's and more specifically in Victoria, therefore, their efforts and skills reward the community through capacity building and further employment opportunities for the village. As months have progressed, the vendors have seen a tremendous increase in their sales and the number of patrons attending the Food Fest. It is the hope of the community that this lively monthly activity will continue to flourish.

The monthly food fest in St. Mark's has increased exponentially since its induction in April 2007. Patrons from other parishes and even tourists have come to experience this unique and exciting event. Increased advertising has brought more people to the food fest each month, and each month the turnout gets better and better.

Currently the St. Mark's Development Committee (SMDC) is developing a plan to expand and improve the Sunset City Food Fest. This will be done through community collaboration and consultation, institutional development, expanding physical assets and amenities, fund raising, marketing and promotion, and capacity building and training. The event is undergoing expansive investment to increase the livelihood of the community through capacity building. Each vendor will undergo extensive training in food preparation, serving and customer etiquette to increase the levels of satisfaction of patrons.

The Five-Year Work Plan consists of the evolution and expansion of this concept. The food fest will aim at acquiring its own suite of equipment and furniture over the next five years and thus obviate the need for renting at non-sustainable levels from outside private sources. The list of acquisitions will include, among other items: tents, tables, chairs, movable signs, etc. In addition, a number of infrastructural projects such as the construction of toilets and other amenities are needed. The SMDC and the leadership of the vendors are embarking on a demand-driven development path which will be undertaken within the context of:

a) A phase increase of the frequency of hosting the food fest, from a once-monthly activity to fortnightly and eventually weekly (responding to market demand).

b) Develop a St. Mark's Development Committee Heritage tourism tour package to include the sites and attractions catering to locals, cruise and stay-over visitors, and in this regard the vendors can provide the lunches and refreshments for those package tour groups.

c) Catering to special events within the parish, e.g. school graduations, local meetings, conferences and training workshops.