The city of Port Harcourt
and its environs bubbled with unrestricted entertainment and fun fair throughout last yuletide as the various entertainment outfits and show businesses were at their best elements in ensuring that there was no dull moments during the Christmas and New Year celebrations.
Although most of the residents travelled outside the city to their various towns, villages and other destinations, those who remained behind had the best entertainment and fun their money could afford under a quiet and peaceful environment. Apart from the Christmas and New Year celebrations, the city was also agog on Friday, 26th January, 2015, as the Muslim faithful celebrated  Idel Maland with various social activities and prayers.
During the yuletide celebrations, various popular night clubs, eateries, cinema houses, hotels and other entertainment hangouts witnessed large patronage from families, couples and other classes of fun lovers who stormed the places to relax and enjoy themselves in a peaceful environment.
Among the clubs that provided  fun during the period were Oba Omega’s Boomer and night club at Rumuogba, Old Aba road, Ouka Beak night club near Mopol 19 barracks, Fabulous night club at the Emenike buss stop axis of Mile I Diobu Royal Afrique  exclusive  night club at Rumuokwusi and a host of others. These  clubs  provided full time entertainment music and dance. Apart from these clubs, there are  other popular hangouts such as Mr. D. Plaza at D/Line  as well as pepper  soup joints that contributed in ensuring a fantastic yuletide.
There were also large crowed of viewers at the cinema houses such as Genesis Deluxe cinemas at  Tombia street and the  Silver Bird Cinemas, former Obi Wali cultural centre along Abonnema wharf  road Port Harcourt. One of the movies that attracted large crowd of viewers at Silver Bird was a hilarious movie   titled: ‘Head  gone’ featuring top Nigerian entertainers namely Ali Baba, Basket Mouth, Akpororo etc.
The story is about psychiatric hospital bus driver who loses some of its patients on referral to a Federal hospital in a road mishap. To cover up their mistake, the driver and nurse assistant picks up unsuspecting  commuters to substitute  the patients. The plot thickens in conflict as the sane commuters try to prove their sanity in a psychiatric instruction and the escapee  patients try to adjust to a were environment.
Another business that provided entertainment during the yuletide are eateries  such as Kilimanjaro, Genesis fast food, Mr. Bigs,  Peperoni, the Promise, Sammies etc. They enjoyed the patronage  of large number of customers who stormed the places to have a delicious  taste of their favourite  meals, mouth  watering ice creams,  snacks and their delicacies.
The comedy clan was not left out as they provided laughter and relaxation on 25th December 2014, Rivers State born  humour merchant, Julius Agwu stormed the city with “Crack Your Ribs” at the Arstee Arcum, stadium road Port Harcourt with other  comedians namely: Rugged Pastor, Romeo without Juliet, Okey Bakasi, D’Don, Funky 4, K.O. Baba, Dr. Virus, Talk Wise and a host of other artistes including Bona Boy, Sckeles etc. This was followed by another comedy show tiled, “Night of Thousand Laughs”. The comic  events attracted  a large audience who   were thrilled  by their funny jokes and popular  songs.
The Nwatam cultural dance also entertained residents of the oil rich city of Port Harcourt on the  24th and 25th  December at Port Harcourt cemetery, old Port Harcourt township while the finals was on the 25th December 2014 at the Rebisi Field Mile I Diobu Port Harcourt, also known as “Ojukwu Field”. All these events contributed in ensuring that there was no dull moment throughout  the  yuletide.
The neighbouring communities also had full scale fun through their beach carnivals  and parties. This included the famous Buguma beach carnival, Isiola Emohua beach party, Ogbakiri beach party  and Elele Alimini street parties among several others.
It would be recalled that prior to Christmas and New Year celebrations, the city of Port Harcourt was in a festive mood as the state celebrated its cultural  festival titled CARNIRIV.
The 2014 edition was adjudged one of the best. Although each of the editions had its unique features, that of last year was spectacular because of the unique  events that made it one of the best. This  included the introduction of the first ever miss CARNIRIV beauty pageant, a word-class stage  for artistes and 100 per cent  local  content.
The one-week event was officially opened on Monday, 14th December and ended on Saturday 20th December 2014 amidst glitz, glamour, pomp and pageantry, among the events that made it spectacular were kids carnival, carnival praise jam, cultural art exhibition, Ekere Rhythm of the tribes, BAMFEST, Hosh Jam, Egelegel Champions of the Sand (Arena), Reggae 360 and  old Port Harcourt town  groove. Among  the artistes  that performed were Davido, Phyron, Patroranking, Timaya and Terry  G.
Among the events that enhanced the explosion of cultural  revival in the state and thumbs-up for the organizers for a job well done were the international Acquatic Fiesta. This is one of Nigeria’s most cherished, most colourful and entertaining water parade by the local government areas and a core part of cultural  life and history of the state.
The city of Port Harcourt literally stood still on Friday, December 19th  and Saturday December 20th 2014, respectively, as the international heritage parade and garden city free style parade took place amidst glamour glitz and funfair  along Aba and Ikwerre  roads axis of the state capital. 23 local government  areas of the state led by their respective  caretaker committee chairmen and wives showcased their floats that depicted their cultural heritage, it was indeed a day that proved the cultural superiority of the Rivers people.
Saturday 20th December witnessed the Garden  City free style  parade made up of 10 costume bands. One  of the bands, Treasure Base band was led by the  Governor of the State,  His Excellency, Rotimi Amaechi accompanied by the governorship candidate  of All Progressives Congress (APC),  Dr. Dakuku Adol Peterside and other government officials. The 2014 edition of CARNIRIV  was indeed a one week of fun and cultural  rejuvenation which set the right mood for last year’s Christmas and New Year celebrations that turned out to be hitch-free, peaceful and fun.
Another historic  event that took place last year was the traditional marriage of former beauty queen and first female president of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Ibinabo Fiberesima to her long time heart  throb, Uche Egbuka a US based soldier  and clinical director from Imo State.
The ancient town of Okrika in oil Rivers State was agog with cultural  festivities on Thursday December  18th, 2014, as the community played host to the who-is-who in Nollywood and showbiz in Nigeria who witnessed the glamourous  event. The marriage  ceremony which turned out into a carnival of sorts witnessed  a large crowd of guests who were conveyed to the palatial gold mansion of Niger Delta billionaire, Ateke Tom, who played the role of a god father at the reception party.
Among the Nollywood heavy weights in attendance were Francis Duru, who was the master of ceremony, Dieweiet Ikpechukwu, Nkem Owoh (Osuofia), Mr. Ibu and Patience  Ozokwor (mama Gee) who were literally mobbed by their fans, guests and villagers. Others included  Mr. Emmanuel Oguguah, Segun Arinze, Florence Onuma, Fabian Adibe, Salome Okeke, Vitalis Ndubuisi, Zeb and Chico Ejiro, Jibor Dubor, Bruno Iwuoha, Kingsley Ejiro, Charles Awurum, Lillian Bach and Emeka Rollas among others.
There were also top artistes in attendance  such as Zapp Squad and the preferred star of the day, African China,  who played several of his hit tracks and kept the people on  the dance  floor. Other stars who performed were AB Cowboy, who charged the arena with gyration music, Waconzy and a host of others.

Gov Amaechi and Adol Peterside