WILLOW Gate Park in Mandeville saw an invasion of party enthusiasts, who came out in their numbers to soak up the fun and good vibes at the Digicel and Appleton Special sponsored Carnival Pon Di Road series, on Friday.

From as early as 6:30 pm, soca fans began streaming in and participated in several competitions where they were rewarded with prizes.

The vibe was accelerated with the introduction of the Romeich Dancers, who had patrons transfixed with their choreographed moves.

Emcees Khadine ‘Miss Kitty’ Hylton and Tricia ‘ZJ Sparks’ Spence were hilarious and provided on-stage entertainment. DJ Bones and Kurt ‘the Party Animal’ Riley put the crowd in a party mood with their musical selections until midnight.

“The vibe has been absolutely crazy. Last year, we were in the town of Mandeville and this year we are in Willow Park, and I believe the crowd has doubled this year. It’s a great night,” Tamika West, marketing manager for Dark Spirits at J Wray andNephew, told the

Jamaica Observer.

West spoke about the collaboration with Digicel to take the series on the road for a second consecutive year.

“Well, it was a fantastic inaugural year for us last year. I don’t think we expected this level of response. We are very proud to have brought this to the people of Jamaica,” she said.

For Digicel’s sponsorship manager Tari Lovell, the powder party was the highlight of the night’s proceedings.

‘The big bang is the powder party. It’s energetic. The people are loving every minute of it. The energy and execution is truly amazing,” he said.

Carnival Pon Di Road heads to Montego Bay this Friday.

— Kevin Jackson