A record number of Islanders and visitors attended the fourth annual Fall Flavours Festival to celebrate Prince Edward Island’s world-class agricultural products and fresh seafood.
“The success of the Fall Flavours Festival speaks to the quality of Island-grown food as well as the talent of our professional chefs,” said Jeff McCourt, chairman of the Culinary Food Alliance. “Islanders should feel proud of the food produced here and its reputation for quality around the world.”
Ticket sales increased nearly 40 per cent over 2010. The number of off-Island visitors attending the festival also increased to 51 per cent from 40 per cent in 2010.
“More and more visitors are looking for culinary experiences when planning a vacation. Prince Edward Island is a food lovers’ paradise and we are perfectly situated to grow our tourism industry by promoting and celebrating the excellent food produced right here,” said Tourism and Culture Minister Robert Henderson. “The Fall Flavours Festival has become a much-anticipated annual event and is a great opportunity to draw more visitors to our province during September.”
“Our Government is pleased to support initiatives like the Fall Flavours Festival,” said the Honourable Gail Shea, Minister of National Revenue, on behalf of the Honourable Bernard Valcourt, Minister of State for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) and La Francophonie. “These festivals successfully extend the tourism season in Prince Edward Island, generate additional economic growth and support jobs across the Island.”
This year’s festival featured dozens of events in communities across Prince Edward Island from September 2 - 25. Celebrity chefs, including Food Network Canada hosts Chef Lynn Crawford, Chef Mark McEwan and Chef Corbin Tomaszeski, entertained crowds as they created numerous dishes made with Prince Edward Island seafood and agricultural products. This year’s festival also included international celebrity Chef Curtis Stone who attended the PEI International Shellfish Festival, a signature event of the Fall Flavours Festival.
“The Fall Flavours Festival showcases the variety of food available from Prince Edward Island farms and demonstrates the important role agricultural plays in the provincial tourism industry,” said Agriculture Minister George Webster.
Prince Edward Island Fall Flavours is part of the Prince Edward Island Flavours initiative of the Culinary Alliance.
The Prince Edward Island Culinary Alliance is a partnership between the Prince Edward Island departments of Tourism and Culture, Innovation and Advanced Learning, Agriculture, Fisheries, Aquaculture and Rural Development, as well as the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency and industry representatives. The alliance was created to develop innovative food industry partnerships, culinary experiences and promotional programs.