The first annual Cayo Wings Festival took place at Falcon Park in San Ignacio on Saturday, June 13, 3pm-12am. Nurlan Flowers of Nurdster Production envisioned this festival for 12 years, beginning in 2014, as an events planner before making it a reality planning diligently over the past 6 months. With Sponsorship from Marie Sharps hot sauce company they pulled together around 40 vendors to share some of the top Belizean recipes for chicken wings. Flora's Kitchen creamy parmesan and and Orange Walk vendor's grilled wing kebabs (the unique wings on a stick with a pineapple sauce to create what looks like a chicken kebab) were among the offerings. Flowers acknowledged San Ignacio and Santa Elena Town Council for putting their enthusiastic support behind this family event to make it possible.
A special highlight of the evening was the performance by the Wabagari Dance Group a group of Garifuna singers and drummers. Wearing regal attire in bold Garinagu colors and designs this group sang tireless with a lengthy ensemble that was mesmerizing. Nurlan worked intensely as the sole organizer to make this dream reality with the support of San Ignacio beginning in December. While he's organized Anime events, club events, this was the big dream for event that is the first of it's kind in Cayo. Others have requested it become an event that could take place in Belize City for example. Flowers noted in his interview on Greater Belize Media, that he had received the strongest support from "the West" for the event, but is open to other possibilities for other districts in the future.
All the family run businesses was a beautiful thing to see in action. Live music was included along with a DJ provided on the Rude Boy stage. Culinary challenges for the best wings were a part of the event as well. Bouncy houses and min cars for the kids added to the family atmosphere including a football gamer happening at falcon park with abundant cheers for the youth teams. Families flowed out of the game directly into the event around 6:30 pm making the event even more festive.
We watched as Guerra's BBQ set up a major wood fed grill experience with all the BBQ imaginable. Emerging designers GarrethsOfficial and New Simplicity had interactive engaging booth experiences with their newest art turned into fashion. The Happy Paint Spot made an interactive creative painting experience for kids of all ages. Too Pretty to Slice offered cakes you could custom decorate yourself with many toppings. Pastry Box understands the art of the S'mores cookie better than anyone so far--chewy without overdoing the marshamallow-yum!
We left feeling inspired by one person's dream of bringing people together for the best of what Belize has to offer which always includes amazing food. This event was clearly put together with lots of love and a thoughtfully curated line up of vendors. We appreciate Nurlan Flowers for his vision and determination to bring this vision to life with absolutely delicious results! Looking forward to this event again next year...
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