Baywatch 2014: Beachwear Cooler Day Fete Turns Pulse48 Into a Beach Fest
Summer in Brooklyn got a Caribbean beach-party makeover on Sunday, July 27, 2014, when Baywatch – Beachwear Cooler Day Fete took over Pulse48.
Presented by Jason Benn & The Ambassador Ladies, the ten-hour daytime fete promised something much bigger than an ordinary outdoor party. Pulse48 was transformed into “Beach Fest 48,” with wet and dry zones, coolers, foam, beachwear, contests, DJs and nonstop Caribbean music from 12 noon until 10 PM.
Patrons were encouraged to come dressed for the theme — bikinis, shorts, vests, tank tops and shades — and bring their own coolers for an all-day summer lime in Brooklyn.
Sheniele “Vivaa” Dodson hosted the Julianspromos coverage, while Julian C. Hackett shot the footage.
Baywatch – Beachwear Cooler Day Fete at Pulse48 in Brooklyn on Sunday, July 27, 2014.
Pulse48 Becomes Beach Fest 48
Baywatch leaned all the way into its summer theme.
The outdoor section of Pulse48 was transformed into Beach Fest 48, giving patrons the choice between a dry zone and a wet zone while Caribbean music filled the yard.
This wasn’t just a fete with “beach” in the name.
There was water, foam, beachwear, coolers and enough summer energy to make a Brooklyn yard feel a lot closer to the Caribbean.
Ten Hours, Ten DJs
Baywatch was advertised as 10 hours of partying with 10 DJs, giving the event enough music to carry it from the midday heat straight into Sunday night.
The music lineup included Boom Champions, Sterling Silver, Young Maddy, TriniBoom, Vibes Unit and other New York Caribbean selectors and crews.
With the party running from noon until 10 PM, Baywatch wasn’t built around waiting for one headline moment.
The lime itself was the main attraction.
Coolers, Foam & Beach Games
Coolers were a major part of the Baywatch experience.
Patrons could bring their own drinks, settle in with friends and make a full day out of the fete. Coolers had to be inside the venue before 6 PM, and drinks had to be transferred into plastic bottles rather than glass.
The event also advertised a foam section, beach-themed contests, a beer-chugging competition and cash prizes.
Basically, showing up completely dry and leaving completely dry would have taken some serious effort.
Young Voice, Wildfire & Mr Famous Hit the Stage
Baywatch also brought live Soca performances into the mix.
Young Voice, Wildfire and Mr Famous appeared during the fete, adding live performance energy to an afternoon already packed with DJs, water and dancing.
Young Voice can be seen performing in the Julianspromos photos, while the wider gallery moves between artists, DJs, Vivaa and the crowd enjoying the outdoor party.
Mr Famous Arrives After a Big Carnival Season
Mr Famous came into the summer of 2014 after one of his strongest Trinidad Carnival seasons.
His song “Play More Local” had become one of the notable records of the season and carried a message encouraging greater support for Trinidad and Tobago’s homegrown Soca music.
He finished second in the 2014 Groovy Soca Monarch competition, making his Brooklyn appearance just a few months removed from a major Carnival showing.
That gave Baywatch another direct connection to the music that had been driving Trinidad Carnival earlier that year.
Vivaa Gets Right Into Baywatch
Vivaa brought viewers directly into the fete.
With the Julianspromos microphone in hand, she moved through the outdoor party as the crowd enjoyed the DJs, performances and beach-themed atmosphere.
The photos capture her hosting during both the daylight and nighttime portions of Baywatch, including a moment with Boom Champions right in the middle of the action.
This definitely wasn’t the kind of assignment where anyone was sitting quietly in a chair.
Watch Baywatch Cooler Fete 2014
Event Date: July 27, 2014
Video Upload Date: August 28, 2014
Julianspromos Host: Sheniele “Vivaa” Dodson
Shot By: Julian C. Hackett
Baywatch Cooler Fete 2014 Photo Gallery
The photos capture the different sides of Baywatch, from Vivaa hosting and Young Voice performing to dancers, DJs, Carnival costumes and a packed Pulse48 yard.
Scenes from Baywatch – Beachwear Cooler Day Fete at Pulse48 in Brooklyn on July 27, 2014.
From Sunshine to Nightfall
The ten-hour schedule gave Baywatch two completely different moods.
During the afternoon, sunshine filled the yard while patrons moved between music, drinks, water and the wet and dry zones.
By nightfall, the same outdoor space had turned into a packed Brooklyn Soca party.
That was part of the appeal.
Nobody had to choose between a daytime lime and a nighttime fete.
Baywatch simply did both.
Jason Benn & The Ambassador Ladies Bring Baywatch to Life
Jason Benn & The Ambassador Ladies presented Baywatch with a theme that went far beyond the event name.
Pulse48 became Beach Fest 48, complete with beachwear, coolers, foam, contests and wet and dry zones.
The result was an event with its own personality — a Caribbean summer party that felt very different from a typical Brooklyn nightclub fete.
From the Julianspromos Archives
Baywatch came during an especially active period for Julianspromos in 2014.
By then, the platform was documenting Caribbean events throughout New York while also expanding into other Carnival destinations.
Events like Baywatch showed another side of that story.
Not every memorable Caribbean event needed a giant arena or an international superstar. Sometimes the attraction was simply a creative concept, a strong crowd and a summer day built around having fun.
For Baywatch, Vivaa hosted the coverage while Julian C. Hackett handled the camera, following the party from daylight into the evening.
The photos and video capture a very specific piece of Caribbean New York summer culture: Soca, DJs, coolers, friends, Carnival costumes, foam and a Brooklyn yard temporarily transformed into a beach party.
That’s what makes Baywatch such a fun part of the 2014 Julianspromos story.
Event Details
Event: Baywatch – Beachwear Cooler Day Fete
Date: Sunday, July 27, 2014
Time: 12 PM–10 PM
Venue: Pulse48 / Beach Fest 48
Address: 1020 East 48th Street, Brooklyn, New York
Presented By: Jason Benn & The Ambassador Ladies
Theme: Beachwear Cooler Day Fete
Features: Wet & Dry Zones, Foam Section, Coolers, Contests, Beachwear, 10 Hours / 10 DJs
Live Performances: Young Voice, Wildfire, Mr Famous
Music: Boom Champions, Sterling Silver, Young Maddy, TriniBoom, Vibes Unit & more
Julianspromos Host: Sheniele “Vivaa” Dodson
Shot By: Julian C. Hackett
Video Upload Date: August 28, 2014
