Baha Mar Announces Full Lineup of Chef and Artist Experiences at the Inaugural Bahamas Culinary & Arts Festival

(NASSAU, THE BAHAMAS, September 7, 2022) – Baha Mar, the Caribbean’s leading integrated luxury resort of choice located in Nassau, The Bahamas, presents the full lineup of events taking place at The Bahamas Culinary & Arts Festival at Baha Mar on October 21-23, 2022. Headlined by internationally renowned 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 action-packed, three-day event is the first of its kind in the Caribbean. The weekend’s events include intimate chef experiences and interactive cooking demos, compelling artistic exhibitions and workshops, guest chef and artist appearances, exclusive activations, live performances and more.

The Bahamas Culinary & Arts Festival kicks off Friday, October 21 with an exclusive sunset welcome for the festival’s weekend pass holders. Sundown & Sips will feature a specially curated menu from chef Marcus Samuelsson, with appearances by the weekend’s celebrated chef personalities. Guests are then invited to attend the Welcome Beach Party at Baha Bay Lagoon, where they will enjoy a fish-fry inspired celebration featuring island infused fare matched with tropical drinks, co-hosted and curated by Marcus, celebrity chef Carla Hall, and Bahamian chef personality Simeon Hall Jr. topped with a spectacular live performance from legendary R&B group Boyz II Men.

The weekend continues with an all-encompassing two-day Expo Saturday and Sunday, where guests can partake in live entertainment and Bahamian hospitality with onstage chef demos from top talent including Carla Hall, Ming Tsai, Tevin Kemp, and more. The Expo will feature artist talks surrounding the topics of the history of Bahamian art, and contemporary art in the Caribbean from John 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 very own at studio and gallery The Current. An open call was placed for local Bahamian artists to create original works reflecting the exhibition’s theme and select pieces will make their debut at the festival, including works by Edrin Symonette, Lemero Wright, Nowe Harris-Smith, Christina Wong, Chantal Bethel, Shacqeel Coleby and Spurgeonique Morley.  

The Bahamas Culinary & Arts Festival is thrilled to 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 grand opening will take place on Thursday, October 20, including the premiere exhibition for two 11 Strong artists – Dede Brown and Kachelle Knowles, as well as a permanent exhibition titled “Hard Mouth” by famed American artist Shepard Fairey. A portion of proceeds from the sales of works by Fairey will benefit the Baha Mar Foundation and its efforts in The Bahamas. ECCHO was created in partnership with The National Art Gallery of The Bahamas.  

For a more up-close and personal festival experience, Baha Mar’s headlining chefs and artist personalities will each be hosting unique, intimate events on Saturday, October 22 where festivalgoers can choose their own adventure from a variety of activities happening throughout the resort. 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 Bahamian ingredients.
  • Perfect Pairings with Dario Cecchini and Ray Isle showcasing master butchery knowledge at Carna paired with exclusive wine tastings from Food & Wine’s Executive Wine Editor.
  • The Chef Next Door with Amanda Freitag a hands-on cooking class at Baha Mar’s The Kitchen featuring original recipes from Amanda, followed by lunch on the patio.
  • Flavors of Mexico with Margarita Carrillo and Juan Meza at Costa, highlighting a delicious taste and exploration of the bold flavors of their home nation, Mexico in an intimate lunch setting.
  • Behind the Scenes with John Cox an exclusive look with artist and curator John Cox where he will guide guests through the Fairwinds Exhibition and share stories of the inspiration, process, and cultural significance of key pieces within the resort’s historied collection.

Saturday’s Grand Dine-Around introduces a special dinner series where guests will have the opportunity to choose one of four specially prepared dinners by the festival’s participating chefs at Baha Mar’s most coveted restaurants. Marcus 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, Margarita Carrillo and Juan Meza will host a dinner at Mexican inspired restaurant Costa. Following dinner, all guests are invited to Desserts After Dark at Privilege Pool, which will feature bites from local Bahamian chefs, special cocktails, passed sweets and custom dessert stations.

The weekend will conclude with a one-of-a-kind, exclusive Long Cay Luncheon on Baha Mar’s private island. On Sunday, October 23, guests will be whisked away to the lush island hideaway of Long Cay, where they will spend a relaxing day on pristine sands enjoying live music, with all the festival’s honored chefs, and a special menu courtesy of Daniel Boulud and Marcus Samuelsson.

The full calendar of events includes:

Friday, October 21

  • 6-7pm: Sundown & Sips hosted by Marcus Samuelsson at Marcus at Baha Mar Fish + Chop House
  • 7-10pm: Welcome Beach Party co-hosted by Marcus Samuelsson, Simeon Hall Jr. and Carla Hall at Baha Bay Lagoon


Saturday, October 22

  • 10:30am-2:00pm: Sea to Table with Marcus Samuelsson and Simeon Hall Jr.
  • 11am-1pm: Behind the Scenes with John Cox hosted by artist and curator John Cox at the Fairwinds Exhibition
  • 11am-5pm: The Bahamas Culinary & Arts Festival Expo at Baha Bay Lawn
  • 12-2pm: Bouillabaisse & Rosé with Daniel Boulud at NEXUS
  • 12-2pm: Perfect Pairings with Dario Cecchini and Ray Isle at Carna
  • 11:30am-1:30pm: The Chef Next Door with Amanda Freitag at The Kitchen
  • 12-2pm: Flavors of Mexico with Margarita Carrillo and Juan Meza at Costa
  • 7-11pm: Grand Dine-Around


Sunday, October 23

  • 10:30am-2pm: Long Cay Luncheon co-hosted by Marcus Samuelsson and Daniel Boulud at Long Cay Island
  • 11am-5pm: The Bahamas Culinary & Arts Festival Expo at Baha Bay Lawn

Tickets for the event are now on sale at bahamar.com/bahamas-culinary-arts-festival/ and are priced upon experience, ranging from $79 to $499 per person. Guests can enjoy The Bahamas Culinary & Arts Festival at Baha Mar in spectacular fashion with the all-inclusive Festival Weekend Pass priced at $499. The Festival Weekend Pass includes a premium welcome gift upon check-in, entry to The Bahamas Culinary & Arts Expo on Saturday and Sunday, and early access to some of the most exclusive, intimate guest chef experiences, as well as admission to the Sundown & Sips party, Welcome Beach Party, and Grand Dine-Around.

For further information about the event, please visit bahamar.com/bahamas-culinary-arts-festival/ for full details on featured chefs and culinary concepts, event specifics, art exhibitions, and a link for easy ticket purchase.

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About Baha Mar

Baha Mar is a master planned integrated resort development situated on 1,000 acres overlooking the world's famous Cable Beach. The white sand beach destination includes three global brand operators – Grand Hyatt, SLS, and Rosewood – over 2,300 rooms and more than 45 restaurants and lounges, the largest casino in the Caribbean, a state-of-the-art convention center, Royal Blue Golf Course, an 18-hole Jack Nicklaus signature course, a brand new $200 million Baha Bay luxury water park, the Caribbean's first and only flagship ESPA spa, and over 30 luxury retail outlets. Baha Mar is a breathtaking location with dynamic programming, activities, and guest offerings in one of the most beautiful places in the world – The Bahamas. For more information and reservations, visit www.bahamar.com.