St Gerard’s Garden Party

St Gerard’s 31st annual Garden Party was held on March 01st 2013 on the grounds of St. Gerard’s Catholic Church, Anguila. This was my third year attending the St Gerard’s Garden Party and it did not disappoint. There were food stalls with cuisine from seven different countries plus loads of dessert. There was so much food to sample that Nash, Sherise and I knew we had to be strategic in our choices of what and where to eat.

St. Gerard's Garden Party - Anguilla

St. Gerard’s Garden Party – Anguilla

We decided to try the Anguilla stall first. I had goat water and some fungi and fish.  That barely made a dent in my stomach so it was on to Trinidad next. Trinidad had a variety of dishes from doubles to roti and we sampled them all.

St. Gerard's Garden Party - Anguilla

St. Gerard’s Garden Party – Anguilla

St. Gerard's Garden Party - Anguilla

St. Gerard’s Garden Party – Anguilla

Our next stop was a shared booth with St.Kitts and Jamaica. This was my favourite booth of the evening. I do not even remember what I had on my plate other than fish and salt fish and ackee but I do remember enjoying eating every morsel of food they gave me.

St. Gerard's Garden Party - Anguilla

St. Gerard’s Garden Party – Anguilla

After three stops and cuisine from four islands, we were stuffed.  We still had to visit the stalls for Dominica, Italy, The Philippines, Dominican Republic and Dessert.

St. Gerard's Garden Party - Anguilla

St. Gerard’s Garden Party – Anguilla

We headed to Dominica who again went all out with a wide cross-section of food including callaloo water and breadfruit juice. It definitely looked delicious but I knew I could not eat another bite so we took it to go. We did the same for Italy and our dessert. I am unapologetic in saying I did not cook on the following Sunday :).

St. Gerard's Garden Party - Anguilla

St. Gerard’s Garden Party – Anguilla

The Philippines and the Dominican Republic had exhausted their supply of food by the time we dropped by but I am sure those who had it would have enjoyed it. I also saw Tropical Treats at the St Gerard’s Garden Party but there was no room for ice cream!

Another reason I enjoy the Garden Party is because it is a great opportunity to socialize. Each year it is extremely well attended and I always bump into friends and people I had not seen for a while. It was great to see Penny and Malcolm Hope-Ross, Hyacinth and Perin Bradley, Sandra York-Gumbs and so many others.

During the evening, while I was sitting on the steps of the church manse and as a bystander or bysitter in this case 🙂 I listened to Don Mitchell as he told a story to a small group of persons. He is a master storyteller and I could not help but laugh at the punch line. The ability to captivate an audience with your words is truly a gift.

The St Gerard’s Garden Party is listed on the official calendar of events for Anguilla for a good reason. There is live entertainment, a cash bar, more food than you can possibly eat in one night and many cool people with whom you can socialize. If you are in Anguilla when it is held, I would definitely recommend that you check it out.

Congratulations to the Catholic Church family and friends for once again organizing and hosting this wonderful event. Thanks for reading this post and I hope to see all of you at the St. Gerard’s Garden Party next year.

St. Gerard's Garden Party - Anguilla

St. Gerard’s Garden Party – Anguilla

It is 2014 which means that the time for many of our annual festivals is approaching. Are you attending Festival Del Mar in April in Anguilla this year? Read my review of the 2013 Festival Del Mar here.

For a daily treat from Anguilla do like My Anguilla Experience on Facebook. Have a great week everyone!