Baha Mar in Nassau, the Bahamas, has announced the full lineup of events taking place at “The Bahamas Culinary & Arts Festival” at the luxury resort from October 21-23, 2022.
Headlined by celebrity chefs including Marcus Samuelsson of Marcus at Baha Mar Fish + Chop House, Daniel Boulud of Café Boulud and Dario Cecchini of Carna, along with The Current’s Creative Arts Director John Cox, the three-day event includes intimate chef experiences and interactive cooking demos, art exhibitions and workshops, guest chef and artist appearances, and live performances.
The festival kicks off on October 21 with an exclusive sunset welcome for weekend pass holders. "Sundown & Sips" will offer a curated menu from chef Samuelsson, with appearances by the weekend’s celebrated chef personalities. At the "Welcome Beach Party" at Baha Bay Lagoon, guests can enjoy a fish-fry inspired celebration featuring island-infused fare matched with tropical drinks, co-hosted and curated by Samuelsson, celebrity chef Carla Hall and Bahamian chef personality Simeon Hall Jr. topped with a live performance from R&B group Boyz II Men.
The weekend continues with "Expo" Saturday and Sunday, where guests can partake in live entertainment and onstage chef demos featuring Hall, Ming Tsai and Tevin Kemp, among others. The "Expo" will include artist talks surrounding the topics of the history of Bahamian art and contemporary art in the Caribbean from Cox, Bahamian artist Antonius Roberts and gallerist Amanda Coulson. An art exhibition titled “Defying Tropicality” will be featured at the festival’s "Expo" curated by Baha Mar’s own gallery and art center, The Current, which was curated through an open call into the Bahamian art community to create original works reflecting the exhibition’s theme.
“The Bahamas Culinary & Arts Festival” will launch “ECCHO,” (Expressive Collaborations & Creative House of Opportunities), Baha Mar’s newest on-site exhibition, as part of the resort’s in-house art programming. The opening will take place on October 20, including the premiere exhibition for two 11 Strong artists—Dede Brown and Kachelle Knowles—besides a permanent exhibition titled “Hard Mouth” by American artist Shepard Fairey. A portion of the sales proceeds will benefit the Baha Mar Foundation. ECCHO was created in partnership with The National Art Gallery of The Bahamas.
Baha Mar’s headlining chefs and artist personalities will each host intimate events on October 22 when guests will have the opportunity to choose their own adventure from a range of resort-wide activities. These experiences include:
- "Sea To Table" with Marcus Samuelsson and Simeon Hall Jr. featuring a Catamaran cruise followed by lunch at Marcus’ Fish+ Chop House
- "Bouillabaisse & Rosé" with Daniel Boulud at the exclusive NEXUS club, featuring a reception-style event with light bites and rosé, followed by a Bouillabaisse demo highlighting local ingredients
- "Perfect Pairings" with Dario Cecchini and Ray Isle showcasing master butchery knowledge at Carna paired with exclusive wine tastings from the executive wine editor of “Food & Wine”
- "The Chef Next Door" with Amanda Freitag–a hands-on cooking class at Baha Mar’s The Kitchen featuring original recipes from Freitag, followed by lunch on the patio
- "Flavors of Mexico" with Margarita Carrillo and Juan Meza at Costa, highlighting the bold flavors of their home nation Mexico in an intimate lunch setting
- "Behind the Scenes" with John Cox, where the artist and curator will guide guests through the Fairwinds Exhibition and share stories of the inspiration, process and cultural significance of key pieces within the resort’s collection
The Grand Dine-Around on October 22 introduces a special dinner series where guests can choose one of four dinners by the festival’s featured chefs. Samuelsson will welcome guests to his signature Marcus Up Top with chef Garrette Bowe; Chef Ming Tsai and Daniel Boulud will welcome diners to his signature restaurant, Café Boulud; Dario Cecchini and Amanda Freitag will host a dinner at contemporary steakhouse Carna; and Simeon Hall Jr., Carla Hall, Carrillo and Meza will host a dinner at Mexican-inspired restaurant Costa. Following dinner, guests can attend Desserts After Dark at Privilege Pool, which will feature bites from local chefs, cocktails and custom dessert stations.
On October 23, guests can enjoy the Long Cay Luncheon on Baha Mar’s private island, with live music and all the featured chefs, and a menu courtesy of Boulud and Samuelsson.
Tickets for the event are on sale online. Guests can also enjoy “The Bahamas Culinary & Arts Festival” with an all-inclusive Festival Weekend Pass.
For more details, visit bahamar.com.
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