The Gardens are especially busy after sunset, when tourists and local alike gather in a popular food street market in the main square, to have dinner enjoying Swahili and Zanzibari cuisine delicacies such as grilled seafood, samoosas, cassava and sweet potatoes.

On July 31, 2009, a ground-breaking ceremony was held by the Aga Khan to introduce a revitalized park. It was rehabilitated by Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) at a cost of $3 million (Sh3.9 billion) from the initial estimates of $2.4 million (over Sh3 billion). The facelift involved the restoration of pedestrian walkways, landscape, infrastructure upgrading, incorporating lighting, sewerage drainage and civic amenities, and the rehabilitation of the seawall fronting the park.

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