A pair of young entrepreneurs who have injected some life into the nightlife in North Bay are teaming up to create a private Homecoming event which they believe will be the biggest Homecoming event in northern Ontario.
Bourke Cazabon and his business partner Riccardo Celebre have teamed up to take over a portion of the Moose's Cookhouse restaurant on Main Street in North Bay. They have transformed it into a unique weekend nightclub called "YTL Experience" which opened in October of 2023.
They have tested the waters with some unique events this summer including a yacht party on the Chief Commanda II, and an event at the new NUSU facility on the campus of Nipissing University.
Their next big event will take place on September 14 at the North Bay Granite Club. The "HOCO" homecoming-styled event at the popular curling venue is not affiliated with either Canadore College or Nipissing University, but they expect to attract the college and university crowd.
The event will feature high-profile DJ and Canadian record producer Dzeko, who is known for his hit tune Jackie Chan. They are planning to bring in a 40-foot stage and even enhance things by including state-of-the-art laser shooting giant robots with mini H2O guns to add to the experience.
"We recognized a significant opportunity for a homecoming event in North Bay, as it's one of the standout celebrations of the school year. At the start of the academic season, you see massive street parties at major universities down south, with streets filled with festivities," Cazabon explained.
"Noticing the lack of traditional homecomings in the north, we saw a great opportunity to initiate something similar here."
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Cazabon, who is also an actor on the Crave series "Shoresy" has been thrilled with the support while trying to create a unique party atmosphere that they believe has been missing for a very long time.
"We weren't sure what to expect since the industry in North Bay had been pretty quiet since COVID," the 21-year-old remarked.
"But when the students returned, we had lines out the door every night. The atmosphere was electric, with people dancing, singing, and enjoying time with friends. Seeing everyone come back every Friday has been absolutely amazing."
