South Africa Blog

south africa travel news and reviews, festivals and events
AddThis Social Bookmark Button

AddThis Feed Button
Archive for January, 2011

WELLINGTON WINE HARVEST FESTIVAL – REAP THE FUN

Posted in Events,Festivals,Western Cape by SA Blog Editor, 19 January 2011.

From 19 – 21 March 2011 Wellington dons its festive costume when this quaint Boland town which was named 2010 SA Terroir Top Wine Area celebrates the bounty of the harvest at the 5th Wine Harvest Festival. Spend the day or make sure you don’t miss any of the action and book in for the weekend for an extraordinary array of fun-filled activities for the whole family.

Big names like Steve Hofmeyr, Adam Tas and the newly crowned Idols winner Elvis Blue will get your hands clapping, while opera lovers can experience a cultural evening around a piece of Wellington history, the Black Countess. Live music will follow you wherever you go throughout the day.

Treat your taste buds with the region’s premium wines, out of the box food parings such as vodka and sushi, and brandy and chocolate, or oysters and bubbly on a topless bus. Buy slow food from the country market; or show your prowess with the potjie in the international potjiekos competition.

The adrenalin junkies will be spoilt for choice with the quad bike trail, the Bain’s trail run or even just a messy round of grape stomping. Take it a bit slower while still breathing the fresh autumn air – join the Wine-on-foot@Blouvlei 5km long vineyard walk in the Bovlei area. Make sure to bring the kids for the tractor and pony rides, and an endless supply of ice-cream.

Only R60 (kids under 13 enter free) promises a full weekend of fun and laughter and lip-smacking taste experiences for the whole family. Festival armbands, your entry ticket, are available from all participating farms and the Wellington Information Office. Special Monday armbands are available at R30 per person.

For more information, the full programme and a list of participating farms contact Emma at tel 021 873 4604, email info@wellington.co.za or visit www.harvestfestival.co.za

Emma Follett-Botha
Tourism Officer
Wellington Tourism
(021) 873 4604

RAMFEST V – CAPE TOWN, JOHANNESBURG, DURBAN – MARCH 2011

Posted in Events by SA Blog Editor, 19 January 2011.

As the summer season hits it`s peak so does the festival circuit. RAMfest is upon us once more.

This year, RAMfest, boasts 3 venues in 3 cities, over 5 days, across 6 stages. That’s right! RAMfest will be visiting 3 major cities in 2011. This helps to cement the event`s reputation as one of South Africa’s Ultimate Rock Festivals.

We are happy to announce that this year`s line up includes two international bands: Alkaline Trio (USA) and Funeral for a Friend. (UK) Biographies and photos attached. Die Antwoord, Van Coke Kartel and Zebra and Giraffe are the local acts that will be performing at all three RAMfest events. For the rest of the regional line ups, see listing below.

John Vlismas will be the host for RAMfest all round in all three the provinces. Here are the dates:

CPT: Nekkies Holiday Resort, Worcester: 4 – 6 March.
DBN: WaveHouse: Wed 9 March.
JHB: Riversands Farm, Fourways: Sat 12 March.

RAMfest has left a permanent footprint on the live music scene……Celebrating 5 years of Rock n Roll, the festival is set to raise the bar yet again. Not only are we going to deliver the music that you all love, we’re also breaking into some new genres that we feel deserve showcasing. If you thought the festival was good, great, fun, mind-blowing or any other positive adjective that you might want to use, then how do we prepare you for what’s about to come?

We’re adding a bigger Dance stage, more and better camping facilities and we have a couple of surprises up our sleeve. Fasten your seatbelts for the thrills that are about jolt you right out of your seat and into the most super-rad party mood.

Calling all fearless warriors, emotionally stunted, corporate sucks, internet tycoons, recently single ready to mingle, goody-two-shoes, rebels with and without a cause, black sheep, white sheep; this means YOU!! Hell we’re even calling the little green men out in space if they can hear us.

Come to Ramfest with us!

LINE UP CAPE TOWN:
MAIN STAGE:
Alkaline Trio (USA), Funeral for a Friend (UK), Die Antwoord, Gazelle, Zebra and Giraffe, Van Coke Kartel, The Revelators, Blk Jks, Ashtray Electric, Desmond & The Tutu’s, Mr Cat & The Jackal,Stepdog, Pretty Blue Guns, The Great Apes, Tumi, Ree-Burth, Dance! You’re on Fire, The Sleepers, Isochronous, Not My Dog, Lonely Dave Ferguson, Wrestlerish, 7th Son, Bittereinder, Mix n Blend.

ALTERNATIVE STAGE:
Down on the first, Moment of Clarity, Knave, Mind Assault, Contrast The Water, The Broken Result, Infanteria, Haggis & Bong, Symphonic Schizophrenia, Juggernaught, Sabertooth, Enmity, Theatre Runs Red, a Walk with the Wicked, The Dead Will Tell, Axxon.

ELECTRONIC STAGE:
Jam Jar, Psydstep, Bruce Willis?, P.H Fat, Niskerone, Counterstrike, Hyphen, SFR, Mr Bong, Fletcher, Sedge Warbler, Toby2Shoes, Kennedy, Battle Beyond The Stars, Ill Tastic, El Gordo, Enough Weapons, Haezer, TOM DELUXX (FRA), Double Adapter, Liver, B-Team and more.

BEACH PARTY:
Haasbroek, Tommygun, FunaFuji, Mr. Sakitumi.

LINE UP JOHANNESBURG:
MAIN STAGE:
Alkaline Trio (USA), Funeral For A Friend (UK), Not My Dog, Die Antwoord, Zebra & Giraffe, Van Coke Kartel, Pestroy, Dance Your’re on Fire, Isochronous, Knave, Pity The Fool, Blk Jks, Desmond & The Tutu’s, The Shadowclub.

DANCE STAGE:
RudeOne, Deeziak, CutKeyLow,Tasha Baxter, Ambush, Bittereinder, Benson

LINE UP DURBAN:
Alkaline Trio (USA), Funeral For A Friend (UK), Die Antwoord, Zebra & Giraffe, Van Coke Kartel.

FACILITIES:

ENTERTAINMENT AREA
Stages, bars and stalls will be inside a fenced off entertainment area.

BEER GARDEN
LARGE TENTED bar areas, with tables, benches and parasols = BEER GARDEN.

PARKING
first come first served, you may camp at your cars. Gate opening times: See at www.ramfest.co.za

ATM’s
…will be placed around the entertainment area.

MARKET
We strive to bring you the best in festival foods, affordable yet healthy and delicious. Catering for everybody’s needs, clothing and other festival paraphernalia also.
a Merchandise stand with credit/debit card facilities will be there again.

To book stalls please contact:
Cape Town: mari@ramfest.co.za
Johannesburg: ingeborg@hilltoplive.co.za

MEDICS
We have professional medics on site, with all necessary emergency equipment, bring your own headache tablets and please PARTY SAFE!

GREEN
Please help to keep us as environmentally friendly as possible. Bring rubbish bags to keep your area clean. All rubbish bags will be collected by our cleaners and sorted into the relevant recycling bins. PLEASE LEAVE GLASS AT HOME!!

SNOW CAFE – MULTIMEDIA CITY – Cape Town only.
Snow Café is a multimedia tented area offering various forms of entertainment. Drop in, relax and blow off some steam. Our friendly staff will make you feel right at home and will ensure you are energized for that next round.

What is on offer:
* Lost & Found
* Information centre
* Phone charging
* Slush & Snack Bar

CAMPING and SWIMMING – Cape Town only.
RAM is a full weekend camping outing, bring your tents caravan’s and camping gear. It is HOT that time of the year so bring extra shade i.e. Gazebo’s stretch tents, sun hats, umbrellas. There is a river and Swimmingpool for cooling off, don’t forget your inflatables. NO open fires will be tolerated.

KREEF HOTEL (Cape Town only) is happy to announce that they will be setting up their point five star festival tent hotel at the RAMfest 2011. Pre-pitched bow tents with mattresses & locks. Secure parking, lighting & 24-hour security. Luggage porters (to help you rest your case), daily breakfast, coffee on tap, cell-phone (cameras, laptops) charging facilities and even a private little bar just for you. Clean toilets (a ply within) & our famous hot showers, exclusively for Kreef guests. All this and more super service crawling distance from the RAMfest stages, at a price to fit your pocket. Rock Hard, Sleep Soft… KREEF HOTEL …the calm thing is to remain important… BOOK NOW

Cape Town only: There are daily trains leaving from CPT to Worcester. Once at Worcester catch a taxi ride to the festival.

TICKETS:
Tickets available from Ticketbreak.co.za

Cape Town:
3 day wk/end pass: R450 presales. R500 at gate.
Sat/Sun pass: R450 presales. R500 at gate.
1 day Sunday pass: R100 gate only (entry from 08:00)

Johannesburg:
Presales: R250.00 and R300 at gate.

Durban:
Presales: R200 and R250 at gate.

STRICTLY NO:Under16′s. Children must be accompanied by a responsible adult over 21, Glass bottles (please decant your drinks into plastic bottles), Littering (Leave No Trace, remove your camping litter!), Fireworks, Domestic animals, Graffiti, Bad attitudes, Weapons, Independent sound systems, illegal substances, Don’t drink & drive; P:L:U:R.

RIGHT OF ADMISSION RESERVED. Entry is entirely at your own risk. The promoters accept no responsibility whatsoever for injury, death, loss or damage of any nature to persons, vehicles & belongings. This applies even to negligence of any kind by the promoters, venue and contractors. All rights reserved.