Black Twitter has been abuzz about news that Freaknik was making a comeback, but the owner of the venue where the party is set to take place Labor Day weekend wants enthusiasts to slow down, because it’s not quite what you think.
Promoter Danny Hefner is reportedly bringing back Freaknik for the new generation, and he promises this year’s party is going to be even more spectacular than previous years.
“This is going to be wild, fun, just like parties used to be,” he said of the event, planned for Labor day weekend. “We’re expecting thousands of people. Hefner didn’t attend the original Freakniks – he’s only 20 – but his mom did, and her stories have inspired him to help carry on with the tradition.
AJC.com initially reported that the promoters plan to provide security and police to deal with traffic. They specifically chose a venue outside downtown Atlanta called The Atrium. The facility offers plenty of parking and attractive amenities like VIP suites and an indoor heated pool.
“We’re going to have multiple DJs, games, all types of stuff,” Hefner said. “This is a one time thing for our generation.”
He’s also excited about the social media buzz the event is generating: “It’s been trending and it’s not even close to the party.”
Atrium owner Terry Brantley is bewildered by all the attention, because for him, Freanik 2.0 is “just another pool party at the Atrium.”
Brantley said his facility hosts these types of wild events “routinely.”
The Atrium has stayed busy for more than two decades hosting a range of cultural events, AJC.com notes.
Freaknik is an annual spring break party in Atlanta, Georgia, primarily of students from historically black colleges and universities. It was launched in 1983 as a small picnic near the Atlanta University Center, and was initially sponsored by the DC Metro Club. The event increased in size and popularity in the 1990s, but things came to a head in 1994-96 — as crowds grew larger, so did the problems.
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