Chester Francis-Jackson, Contributor

Contractor General Greg Christie and wife Jan shake legs at the fund-raising party. - photos by Winston Sill/Freelance Photographer

My daahlings, our nation's capital is buzzing at full party throttle, as the young and the restless, the fit and fabulous, plus the serene and the celebrated, all find time to toast anniversaries, special birthdays and or just the joys of living.

Precious angels, when we say celebrate, we most certainly do not mean any 'pya-pya' partying as this is the season to be well and truly grand. There is simply nothing like living in the present, as against postponing one's pleasures in the hope for tomorrow!

Surprise dinner

Dovecakes, first there was the absolutely civilised and oh so intimate charmer of a surprise dinner and cocktails that social diva, the tres elegant Marilyn Bennett, threw in honour of the 85th birthday of her mom, the oh-so-charming Hazel Bennett.

Sweet things, hosted in the upper St Andrew enclave of Norbrook, the affair was as smart a do as it was fab.

Style doyenne Bennett was at her best in cajoling friends and family to conspire with her in keeping her plans for the birthday do she had carefully crafted, hidden from her mother.

In the end, holding true to form, it was a very surprised Hazel Bennett who walked into the gathering two Tuesday evenings ago for the surprise.

What should have been a cursory stop at a friend's home, turned out to be a gathering of family, friends, church sisters and brothers.

Birthday celebrations

Also celebrating a very special milestone this season is international financial consultant Brent Ciurlino, and in keeping with his penchant for fabness, the actual birthday celebrations are to follow, and this time in exotic Negril on the July 4 American holiday weekend.

Also celebrating her very special 16th birthday that weekend is the lovely Samantha Bourke. It will be in fab Runaway Bay, with parents Richard and Carol Bourke promising to make the occasion a memorable one for her.

Garth Williams made his birthday a rather special celebration last Friday, with a costume party hosted to raise funds for one of Kingston's leading charitable causes. Plus, Transport Minister Mike Henry took his celebratory party to Little Ochi, last Saturday.

Today, businessman Steve Ashley will be breaking out the champagne to celebrate the birthday of his fabulous wife, the charming Betty Ashley, in what the buzz says, will be an intimate affair and nothing but. Also celebrating his birthday today is legendary musician and musicologist, Byron Lee. Many happy returns y'all, with champagne toasts and beluga treats.

Another smasheroni

My dears, there was the annual Jamdammers fund-raising party last Saturday night at the American International School on Olivier Road in St Andrew. Luvs, the buzz is that this one was another Jamdammers smasheroni, with the beautiful people out to share party honours with the fabulously fit! Darling dears, suffice to say, it was one cantata of fabulousness with Renaissance Disco pumping up the jam to the absolute delight of revellers who made the event a marathon of a party, as they partied the night away!

Among the list of happening personalities in attendance were: Dr Michael Banbury; Christopher and Gillian Zacca; Betty Delfosse-Ingleton; Danville and Sharon Walker; Gregg and Janice Christie; Brent Curlino and wife Dr Kim Brown; the fab Tanya HoShue; Gary and Bernadette Barrow; Justin Nam; Jackie Murray; brothers Brett and Jordan Wong, accompanied by their fabulous girlfriends; Digicel's Stephen Price and Wayne Miller (whose gate prizes were well received ); David Walton and Amanda Wong.

Being a Jamdammers event, it would not be complete without Negril (the home of the signature road events), being represented, and represented it was as social powerhouse Eric 'Busha' Clarke motored in for the annual do as did Ricardo Bowleg of the fab Swept Away Resort, as well as noted attorney, Leonard 'Freddy' Green, accompanied by his wife, Janneth Mornan Green.

Funds from the event are for the Road to Reggae Marathon race series, which begins in September and the Reggae Marathon event in December, which now features an exciting 10K race.

Epicurean Escape

Speaking of fab events, people, places and things, as it was all about the fab capital and its happening parties over last weekend, this weekend it is all about fabulous Negril and the annual glorious Epicurean Escape, hosted by the simply grand testament to fine and fab style, the Grand Lido Hotel and Resort.

My daahlings, the five-day and night event is the Caribbean's most anticipated culinary outing, drawing, as it does, the very best of the world's culinary masters, in a celebration of food and the delights thereof, that has been the toast of the world food community since its inception. Sweet-things, the festival that started on Wednesday will run through Sunday, capping with a gala-dinner.

Dears, we are talking a must attend here for oenophiles and gourmets, and any palate with an appreciation for life's bounties, as this stellar event is the wine and food event of the Caribbean, so much so that while it has inspired many a take-off (and remember imitation is the truest form of flattery), the imitations have failed to capture the unique ingredient that makes the annual event truly memorable.

Guests dance the night away at the Jamdammers Running Club of Kingston's fund-raising party in aid of the Reggae Marathon and Half Marathon to be run in December.