The wait is over! Fantastic Friday the hottest end-of-month party to be had on the island, bar none is the place to be at the end of your work day this afternoon. And organizers have definitely turned up the heat with this edition dubbed Houston Nights.
Bahamasair has teamed up with the Fantastic Friday crew -- Star 106.5 FM, the British Colonial Hilton and Visage -- to launch its newest non-stop twice-weekly flight to Houston, Texas which they will do at tonight's event. And one person will walk away from this must-attend party with a four-day, three-night hotel stay to Houston.
Outdoors the temperature is definitely hot, and Fantastic Friday is definitely the hottest party around. Tonight's edition will definitely be a scorcher. And Visage, one of the most energetic bands in the country, will continue to do what it does best -- turn the house out.
Fantastic Friday Houston Nights takes place in the Governor's Ballroom at the British Colonial Hilton Hotel. Doors open at 6 p.m. Tickets are $20 per person and includes one drink.
With music by DJ CRX, the question is whether you will be able to handle the heat at the event.
It's at Fantastic Fridays that you can dance to your favorite old school soca tunes and some of the most popular Bahamian hits while you release work tensions from the past month.
"We would like everyone to come out, because we want to give them a taste of Texas on that night," said Woodrow "Woody" Wilson, Bahamasair's senior manager of sales and marketing.
Bahamasair will launch the Houston service at Fantastic Friday with an introductory rate for the first two months of $575, inclusive of taxes. The airline will take over Fantastic Fridays for three months -- August, September and October -- with the Houston Nights edition, in preparation for its November schedule, featuring twice weekly flights departing New Providence on Sundays and Wednesdays at 4 p.m., with return flights on Mondays and Thursdays at 8 a.m.
"We're partnering with hotels and they are excited about the prospect of Bahamians coming into the area. I sat down with them and told them of our love for shopping," said Wilson. "Houston also has some amazing hospitals, and I found out they have an excellent cancer center down there as well, so there's a lot to do going into Houston."
With the introduction of the Houston route, Wilson said Bahamasair is in the midst of launching its expansion into new markets outside of south Florida. He could find no better way to launch it than at Fantastic Friday.
"This is the beginning, but it's going to be one step at a time. We're looking to start non-stop flights to Chicago, as well, in November," said Wilson.
Partnering with Star 106.5 FM and Fantastic Friday to launch the service was akin to the perfect marriage for Bahamasair.
Everyone knows that Fantastic Friday is the monthly hot party ticket. Principals have spoken about being pleasantly surprised at the crowds at past events. They were floored as the patronage continued to increase, which forced them to throw open the doors from Bullion to the hotel's lawn, for the overflow.
"It's really become a wonderful event," said Visage leader Obi Pindling, after their first year anniversary. "I think all of us are now looking back at each other and saying, 'Why haven't we been doing this all along?' It's grown that big."
Fantastic Fridays was actually the brainchild of Pindling, who approached the hotel principals with the idea in December 2012, after they had played at the Hilton's corporate Christmas event. Pindling said they received many compliments as well as comments from the people who attended that the band should consider playing on a regular basis at the venue. He approached the Hilton with the idea of the happy hour event. It was an idea they liked, but at that time the ducks did not line up in a row. Visage played the Hilton's corporate Christmas event again at the end of 2013, and after the same response from patrons Pindling pitched his idea again. That time the stars aligned.
They discussed it throughout January 2014. Pindling contacted Star 106.5 FM programming director Tony Williams to see if the radio station would be interested in getting in on the event. He hoped it would fill that entertainment void for "grown folks" looking for a nice, cozy, comfortable, classy venue, where they could have after-work drinks on a Friday and dance to good music -- old school rake 'n' scrape and soca -- and just have a good time. Williams loved the idea, and Star 106.5 FM was on board.
Pindling has described the happy hour social event as the greatest five hours every month in local entertainment.
Fantastic Friday Houston Nights takes place August 25 in the Governor's Ballroom at the British Colonial Hilton Hotel. Doors open at 6 p.m. Tickets are $20 and include one drink per person.
Houston Nights -- A special edition of Fantastic Fridays
Featuring: Visage
When: Friday, August 25
Where: Governor's Ballroom, British Colonial Hilton Hotel
Time: Doors open at 6 p.m.
Admission: $20 includes one drink
Enter to win a four-day, three-night trip, inclusive of with hotel accommodation, to Houston, Texas.
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