I would have liked to visit the event, I never have been at Fairchild Gardens during the mango festival.
But I did send an alt. my sister is in town, and she went to the festival, she loved the place, all these varieties are all new to her, she is only accustomed to what you find in stores.
I asked her before hand to keep notes on what mangoes she liked.
She only tried about 8 varieties. she bought two varieties to bring back ( just fruits not trees ) the Mallika, and one I was not familiar with "Myatrynat" I thought it was a misspelling, but that's how its spelled.
The mango she liked the best out of all she tried, was the Alphonso.
She told me I should volunteer to be behind the tables, because the people there, seemed to not know much about the mangoes, my sister and another person were asking questions about the varieties on display, and they just did not know. I have no idea if that's the way it always is, or maybe they were just substituting at the time.
I can understand that for many mango veterans in the forum, the festival is something you visit once or maybe twice and that's it, as you say, not much more you can learn, and the money and time could be used to buying mangoes or trees closer to you.
But to the civilians and newcomers, its a real treat, its important that consumers try new varieties, and learn that there is more to mangoes than Imported champagne's and Tommy Atkins.
Sister also tried Rambutan for the first time, so she really enjoyed the whole thing.
