Which Fete You Goin”?
One of the first fetes I actually booked tickets for, this was the only fete I did while in Tobago.
As I was putting together my itinerary for Trinidad Carnival, I consulted my friend Nas on which fetes he thought I should attend. Without hesitation, he told me to get my ticket for Candy Coated Wine Down.
“Whaaaaa? You don’t wanna miss it. Beach fete. In the ocean. You’ll have an awesome time,” he said.
As a Cancer, I came into the world a bona fide water sign and summertime beach baby; consequently, it wasn’t a hard sell. I bought the ticket. I loved that they made the purchase super easy on Eventbrite. So even with months left before the actual fete, they were already scoring cool points with me.
Getting to Wine Down in Tobago
The day I flew to Tobago, I caught a later flight than I’d originally planned. (READ: I overslept because it was the day after Carnival Tuesday, missed my flight, and thankfully ran into a friend who had a hookup and got my ticket changed!) This turned out to be a blessing in disguise because the 7 am flight I was supposed to take would have left me at the resort just hanging out, but being unable to check into my room for several hours.
As it was, I got over to Tobago a little after 12 pm. It was still a bit early for me to check in, but I didn’t want to wait to check-in and end up getting to the party too late. I opted to change clothes in the resort reception area bathroom, stow my bags with the front desk and jumped in the taxi I had waiting to head off to Candy Coated Wine Down.
Here at Last!
Ok, so for all my haste, the party producers weren’t quite ready when several of us arrived. However, the venue was located in a nice seaside area and I seized the chance to take pictures before the crush of partygoers arrived. After a while, they began to let us in.
Before long, Nas, Charysse and some of their villa mates arrived, and I felt in my element again with my friends. We got drinks, hustled through the food line and got ready for a long afternoon of dancing that lasted well into the night. Sexy, bikini-clad ladies gyrated to the music on giant rafts, while dudes whipped out their cell phones to catch the festivities on video. Some people paddled along the waves on oversized floating swans and unicorns, making me wish I had bought one too.
Beach Bunnies and Mermaids on Floats
It took Charysse and me a few minutes to wade out into the water because the first couple of yards were laced with jagged rocks. They were extremely painful to walk on. Eventually, we soldiered on and made it out onto a float with some other friends. Plenty of laughter, drinks, and jokes whizzed by while we lolled on a raft underneath the sunshine of Tobago. While we obviously made it back to the shore, I’m hard-pressed to tell you how, exactly.
Winding Down at Wine Down
First, a brilliant sunset, then the cover of darkness descended upon us. There was only more liquor, music and dancing, which meant more selfies to take with new friends. The Soca was live, the atmosphere relaxed and free and the temperature was perfect. We were still darting in and out of the rising tide, but I eventually left the beach when the murky waters claimed one of my flip-flops.
Charysse and Nas’ crew left them there at the fete. Luckily, I took the cab driver’s card before I got out of his car earlier and called him. Even though he was home for the night, he took pity on us and came to get us. We all made it safely to our respective residences.
Losing my flip-flop was a bummer, but a small price to pay compared to the amazing time we all had at Candy Coated Wine Down. Hands down, it was one of the best beach fetes I’ve ever attended! I made some cool new friends, too!
