Most glassware at Mexican Village stolen by customers: WindsorEats owner

Glassware for the Carrousel of the Nations’ Mexican Village, left, and WindsorEats owner Adriano Ciotoli, right, are seen on June 15, 2024. (Source: WindsorEats, Sanjay Maru/CTV News Windsor)

Ahead of the start of the 2024 Carrousel of the Nations festival, the owner of WindsorEats — where the Mexican Village is being held — wanted to use creatively-designed glassware to serve drinks at the Mexican village.

But, according to owner Adriano Ciotoli, 80 per cent of those glasses were taken home by customers during the village's opening night on June 14.

"It's disappointing. You tried to do something good to elevate your product, and people do something like that. It's extremely frustrating," he said.

That's why visitors to the Mexican village will notice a sign at the bar that reads: "Friday night, 80 per cent of our glassware was stolen by customers. As a result, we'll be serving you from plastic cups today."

This wasn't the only obstacle Ciotoli said his business had to overcome Friday night.

"One of our Herby Curby recycling bins was stolen. Another one was set on a fire a few weeks ago," he said.

The Mexican village will return for the second weekend of the Carrousel of the Nations Festival: June 21 from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m., June 22 from 12 p.m. to 11 p.m. and June 23 from 12 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Click here for a full list of the 30 villages in this year’s Carrousel of the Nations festival.