Bahamas News
Thompson Opens Grand Bahama’s GOOMBAY Summer Festival
Bahamas, July 7, 2017 – Grand Bahama – Grand Bahamians will play an important role in revitalizing the island of Grand Bahama, according to Minister of State for Grand Bahama in the Office of The Prime Minister, Senator Kwasi Thompson.
“Recovery is a group effort; it takes all of us as a community to see a better, brighter island,” said Senator Thompson. “Truly, one of the most impactful efforts toward revitalization is working together as one.”
The Minister’s remarks came during the short opening ceremony to kick off this year’s GOOMBAY Festival, which was held at Taino Beach on Thursday, July 6, 2017. The Summer Cultural Festival is expected to run until the end of August, and will be held every Thursday evening at the popular beach.
During the opening ceremony, scores of tourists and locals alike flocked to Taino Beach to enjoy Bahamian culture, including food, drinks, Bahamian music and a junkanoo rush out.
In his address, the Minister of State for Grand Bahama noted that such festivals as Goombay provide economic value for the country, particularly for the island of Grand Bahama. He noted that upon taking office the Minnis Administration committed itself to revitalizing the island of Grand Bahama.
“Grand Bahama has shown great resilience in times of hardship and has always had limitless potential for a successful, sustainable, booming economy,” Senator Thompson told those gathered for the Summer Festival.
“We are now moving toward unveiling that potential and making way for this island to be all that it can be.
“As such, I urge residents of this island to support local festivals like these; support cultural activities and support Bahamian businesses, because ultimately, Grand Bahamians will play an important role in revitalizing Grand Bahama.”
Minister Thompson noted that the government is actively working on the redevelopment of the Lucayan strip. He admitted that the once popular shopping district has faced a number of challenges, particularly for local businesses within the tourism industry.
“We want to assure those business owners, particularly vendors in Port Lucaya Marketplace that we stand behind you,” said Minister Thompson. “We are committed to restoring life to Port Lucaya.”
“And for our visitors, if you haven’t already done so, please visit Port Lucaya Marketplace. It is our hope and full intent, in conjunction with the Ministries of Tourism and Culture to bring festivals like this to Port Lucaya and throughout our island, thereby creating an avenue for local businesses to thrive and flourish.
“As we progress toward revitalization, I strongly encourage the public to participate in these activities.”
Minister Thompson commended the team at the Ministry of Tourism for their dedication and hard work in bringing the “awesome” summer festival to Grand Bahama once again. He also thanked the sponsors, as well as the vendors and entertainers who made the decision to be a part of this year’s GOOMBAY Festival.
Story by: Andrew Coakley
Press Release: BIS
(BIS Photos/Andrew Coakley)
Photo Captions:
SUMMER FESTIVAL 2017 – Minister of State for Grand Bahama in the Office of The Prime Minister, Senator Kwasi Thompson (centre, with hat), is joined by Member of Parliament for Bains and Grants Town and Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism, Travis Robinson, Betty Bethel, Director of Tourism (Northern Bahamas) and Ministry of Tourism organizers of this year’s festival, for a group shot during opening ceremonies for the 2017 GOOMBAY Summer Festival on Taino Beach, Thursday, July 6, 2017.
OPENING FESTIVAL – Minister of State for Grand Bahama in the Office of The Prime Minister, Senator Kwasi Thompson was the guest speaker at the opening of the 2017 Bahamas GOOMBAY Summer Festival, which was held on Taino Beach, Thursday, July 6, 2017.
GREAT SPEECH – Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism and Member of Parliament for Bains & Grant’s Town, Travis Robinson (left) is congratulated by Minister of State for Grand Bahama, Senator Kwasi Thompson, for a great speech during the opening of the 2017 Bahamas GOOMBAY Summer Festival.
NASSAU, Bahamas — Caribbean Bottling Company (CBC), local producers and distributors of Coca-Cola and Dasani products concluded their 10 weeklong Twist To Win campaign with four $5,000 Mall at Marathon shopping sprees.
The campaign which was available throughout the entire Bahamas allowed consumers to enter by purchasing a 20oz bottle with a yellow cap
from the following brands: Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola No Sugar, Sprite, Fanta Orange, or Fanta Grape. Each yellow-cap had a unique alpha numeric code underneath which they submitted to the Twist To Win WhatsApp number.
With each qualifying purchase, participants residing in The Bahamas were entered to win instant prizes and into a grand prize draw to win one of four $5,000 shopping sprees at the Mall at Marathon.
Participants also enjoyed exciting instant prizes such as: Airpods, JBL Speakers, premium Coca-Cola merchandise, $500 Visa gift cards and Amazon, Spotify and Apple Music digital gift cards.
Out of 76,000 plus submissions, Brian Bethel, Ashia Demeritte, Merlin Adams, and Taraceta Neely won the coveted Mall at Marathon shopping sprees at the following select stores, Kelly’s House & Home, The Sports Center, John Bull, Brass & Leather, and BTC.
Leading up to the grand finale shopping spree, Coca-Cola hosted a Trivia Showdown with the eight finalists to determine the four winners. Finalists were tested on their knowledge of World History, Pop Culture, Caribbean Bottling Company and Coca-Cola Facts!
After a few rousing rounds of trivia, the four winners were declared after each winning their spot in the shopping spree by answering their questions correctly and choosing the “Grand Prize” Coca-Cola labeled bottles at random.
The morning of the shopping spree Coca-Cola gave the winners exclusive access to the Mall at Marathon and its participating stores before
their usual operating hours. Grand prize winners were greeted with wide smiles from Coca-Cola brand representatives and morning bites before the big event.
At the start of the thirty-minute clock the grand prize winners along with each of their Coca-Cola shopping assistants ran to the various stores collecting items in their arms and carts.
Merlin Adams, a husband and father of four was proud to have executed his game-plan at the end of the shopping spree. With toys, a new phone and materials for his home from Kelly’s, Adams felt accomplished in what he gathered.
Taraceta Neely, a winner from Eleuthera collected beautiful bags for herself and relatives from Brass and Leather and Brian Bethel bought matching athletic and outdoor wear from The Sports Center for his family.
The final winner Ashia Demeritte bought linens and household items in addition to a new phone from BTC right in time for Christmas.
Caribbean Bottling Company is proud to share the real magic of Coca-Cola with the grand prize winners and the may instant prize winners across the Twist To Win campaign. For more updates on new products, promotions, and events follow www.cbcbahamas.com.
Bahamas News
The Coca-Cola Art Project Astonishes Art Lovers at The Bahamas Culinary & Arts Festival
NASSAU, Bahamas — Caribbean Bottling Company (CBC), local producers and distributors of Coca-Cola and Dasani products displayed
their astonishing Coca-Cola Art Project (CCAP), during Baha Mar’s five-day Culinary & Arts Festival. Earlier this year, Coca-Cola partnered with The University of The Bahamas’ Visual Art and Design Department for a culturally rich art competition. UB’s art students were challenged to create pieces surrounding the theme, Bahamian music.
As a result, 20 student works of art were made, with four students declared as winners at the CCAP exhibit opening in Baha Mar’s ECCHO: Art Gallery in August. To recreate the culturally stimulating magic felt at the exhibit’s premiere, the CCAP was featured at the FUZE Art Tent during The Bahamas Culinary & Arts Festival.
Nine incredible pieces of art lined the walls of the Coca-Cola Art Project, four of which included the winning pieces from Jhanaisia Cole,
with ‘Gaulin Bride’; Alyssa Pinder, with ‘Shotgun Wedding’; Nelson Gray, with ‘Untitled’; and Jaela Bowe, with the piece ‘Whims of Obeah, a Folktail’. Additionally, an intimate listening room was built. It displayed students’ artistic processes, UB Visual Art and Design representatives, and a recap of the exhibit opening for audiences.
Art enthusiasts also enjoyed premium limited-edition CCAP keepsakes at the booth. Journals which featured a collage of all 20 student submissions on the front and back cover, postcards with an art piece on the cover along with the student’s name, title, dimension and materials on the back and pens designed with the CCAP’s dynamic logo.
Throughout the art festival diverse groups of people visited the art tent taking in the displays while enjoying the artistic insights from the
listening booth.
Community and culture are always at the forefront of Caribbean Bottling Community, and it was boldly showcased during The Bahamas Culinary & Arts Festival for the third consecutive year.
For more details on the Coca-Cola Art Project, events and new products visit www.cbcbahamas.com today!
NASSAU, Bahamas — Caribbean Wines & Spirits (CWS), The Bahamas’ premier wines and spirits distributor delighted Jollification
attendees with bubbles from their Bottega and Bouvet Ladubay sparkling wines and Besserat de Bellefon champagne lines.
Located in the Monument Circle on The Retreat grounds, CWS transformed The Retreat Garden into a lush lounge with Besserat, Bouvet and their latest product addition, Bottega, during the two-day affair.
The festivities kicked off Friday during BNT Member’s Night. Guests enjoyed exclusive offerings from CWS’s catalogue, offered exclusively to members. Complimentary mixes or glasses on the rocks included El Tequileno tequila, Hard Truth whiskey, House of Angostura rum, Cross Keys gin, Nemiroff vodka and a slew of wines such as Fonesca Bin, Bottega and Besserat.
Guests also savored the ‘Jolly Paloma’ cocktail, an instant favorite made with El Tequileno tequila, Schweppes Grapefruit and Domaine de Paris rose wine. To end the night, guests were treated to branded limited-edition wine tumblers as keepsakes.
On Saturday and Sunday, Jollification attendees delighted in glasses or bottles of champagne and sparkling brut or rosé wines while taking
in the comfort of the chic lounge. In addition to purchasing bottles for onsite consumption, consumers were also able to purchase bottles as gifts whether for themselves or someone special.
The sophisticated “bubble lounge” lounge was decked with velvet couches, gold rimmed cocktail tables, blue and pink pillows, and a white floral branded backdrop created for capturing the perfect picture.
Caribbean Wines & Spirits, a historic partner of the Bahamas National Trust was pleased to support Jollification 2025 to kick off the festive season and share their expansive range of spirits.
To keep up to date with all CWS products and events, visit their website at www.cwsbahamas.com today.
