The Wine & Art Festival has been on Nassau’s calendar long enough that no one needs to be told what it is.
You either know to go, or you don’t.
Held at The Retreat, one of the Bahamas National Trust’s 33 national parks, the festival has never needed to try too hard. The setting does a lot of the work. The rest unfolds naturally.
Alexis Hanna, Corporate Donor Relations Officer at the Bahamas National Trust, said it simply: “We are in charge of conservation, but also preserving our national heritage and our culture. The music, the arts, the food, all of that is a part of our heritage.”
The annual festival opened on Friday to members of the BNT and special guests, including the Wybe team, and the atmosphere felt private, almost exclusive. More than fifty global wines and champagnes were featured this year, brought in through partnerships with Caribbean Wines & Spirits, Black Sail Wine & Spirits and Liquid Courage. With so many quality options, it could be easy for the wine to overshadow everything else.
It doesn’t.
Friday gave us the room to navigate the grounds without the hustle and bustle usually reserved for Saturday and Sunday. There was space to slow down, enjoy the samples, vibe to the smooth vocal stylings of Nishe L.S, study the art, and even speak with the artisans behind the work.
In a sea of impressive oil paintings and intricate junkanoo sculptures, I found myself lingering at one booth in particular because a single piece simply would not let me pass it. It was a black Afro silhouette, the head filled with words like masculine, leader, and power, layered inside the shape. According to the artist, Damon, there was a companion piece — a woman rendered in the same style — that had already sold. That knowledge framed it in a way that made it even more impossible to walk away from opening the door for even more conversation between Damon and me.
For Damon at Unique Crafts Bahamas, machines are not part of his process. The skill was built slowly, practicing daily and refining one element at a time until it was clean. Around that statement sat wall décor with deliberate lines, bible holders etched with intricate patterns, and wine and bottle holders shaped carefully by hand.
Three years in, the discipline was evident. The other artists and artisans displayed a similar commitment to their respective crafts, with each booth proving more impressive than the one before it.
By the final day of the festivities, the retreat is definitely busier…bustling with the energy of more. More people, more music, and more activity. From culinary demonstrations hosted by the Ministry of Tourism to sip and paint sessions facilitated by the National Art Gallery of The Bahamas, and displays from the Junkanoo Museum, the retreat gardens literally erupt with a variety of sensory and cultural displays. Sure, you might wait a little longer for a pour, but the energy of the day makes it worth it. So does the food. For foodies like myself, the samples were a yummy accompaniment to the overall vibe with easy-to-eat options like wings, fritters, tacos, burgers, and even full plates of Jamaican jerk. The standout for me was not FOOD, though it was the delicious native sorbets being served up at Chillin Time. What started as a simple taste test of the various flavors turned into Wybe team and me cracking open our wallets to purchase individual cups.
All of these elements are a testament to exactly why Wine & Art Fest continues to work so well: the perfect blend of purpose, culture, food, and fun. It’s a formula that Nassuvians understand and appreciate, which means this festival is likely to keep attracting new patrons for years to come!
