Over ten thousand people visited the Botanical Gardens for the Annual Exhibition this year. The event culminated with a ?Gospel Explosion? concert on Saturday night.

?It was the first time such a concert happened and we were impressed with the large turn out,? Director of Parks, Lisa-Dawn Johnston, said. ?We expected approximately 300 and I think close to 600 came.?

She added that the three day event was an outstanding success this year. She was particularly pleased with the record number of entries.

?We are also really excited about the amount of people who showed up for the special performances,? she said. ?Everyone seemed to really enjoy them.

?There was also a strong educational message with out theme ?Planting Seeds for Tomorrow?. We had the Heritage Hunt and other exhibits.?

The Heritage Hunt was a new addition to the event, the organisers partnered with LookBermuda to develop a scavenger hunt quiz. The hunt encouraged students to use their ingenuity to find facts and figures about Bermuda?s parish histories.

Students and teachers used LookBermuda?s interactive map to find out new facts and figures. The aim was to make learning about Bermuda?s history fun and interactive.

Saltus Junior School came first while Gilbert Institute placed second and the Bermuda High School was third. Prizes were handed out by Minister of the Environment, Neletha Butterfield during the opening of this years Annual Exhibition.

Ms Johnston believed that all the new additions to the event, which has been in Bermuda for 68 years, coupled with the old favourites made this year?s show a success.

?I think its a wonderful way to display our culture and traditions,? she said.