Donald Teuma-Castelletti
DAVIDSON June 16, 2018
While most events and festivals around the Pontiac tend to employ country music, a brand-new party hosted at Esprit Rafting went in the complete opposite direction, by organizing a beach party based around dance and electronic music.
That’s all thanks to the DJs organizing Davidson’s first Life’s a Beach Party, who set out to enjoy an afternoon and night of dancing, games and fun, all set to their live sets, on June 16.
Event organizer Matthew Armour said he had been talking with some of the other featured DJs in January about hosting an event in the Pontiac, and soon after approached Jim Coffey, owner and operator of Esprit Rafting, looking to set it up.
“It was an immediate, ‘Yeah, for sure, let’s do something,’” said Coffey, on Armour organizing the party. “We’re pleased to host a big event with many of the locals coming out to support us.”
Featuring a variety of DJs playing their own sets, access to the Capital Cable Park services including Flyboarding and JetSurfing, as well as swimming, a volleyball court and more, there was plenty to do that afternoon, especially with the weather working well in their favour.
The entire event was BYOB, though non-alcoholic drinks and food were available at the party, and in an effort to avoid drunk driving, guests were asked to park at the Draveurs Leisure Centre in Fort Coulonge, where they’d be bussed to the location.
As well, a portion of all ticket sales supported Whitewater Healing, an organization pairing kids with autism spectrum disorder with expert paddlers, as they work together to conquer bodies of water.
“Ten dollars from each ticket goes directly to Whitewater Healing,” said Coffey. “The program is 100 per cent volunteer-based, but there are some real expenses in areas like publicity, transportation, etc.”
Rounding out the fun of an exciting first-time event was another first for Armour, as he made his debut performance as a DJ on Saturday. Working alongside local Pontiac DJs, plus some talents from further out, guests were sure to have plenty to keep the party rolling into the night.
