South Africa Blog

A number of top artists from around the country are set to perform at this year’s White Mountain Festival, which is coming up from September 29 to October 2 and once again promises a weekend of great live music in an awesome setting.

Included on the bill for this gem of a festival held at White Mountain Lodge near Giant’s Castle in the scenic Central Drakensberg are melodic rockers aKING, the platinum-selling Jesse Clegg Band, Plush frontman Rory Eliot and SAMA-nominated singer-songwriter Josie Field.

Other must-see acts include Habit To, Margaret’s Daughter, Allan John Band, Naming James, Shotgun Tori, Rooibaardt, The Hinds Brothers, Nate Maingard, Holly, Nosi and The Zulus, The Kickstands, Asleep in Transit, Kaiti Faul, as well as 2010 SA Idols finalist Jess Yallup, among others.

A special treat for guitar enthusiasts is that acoustic fingerstyle guru Guy Buttery and blues maestro Dan Patlansky will also join forces in a rare unplugged collaboration, combining their contrasting styles in what is sure to be a showcase of true guitar wizardry!

Also on offer are fun outdoor activities for the whole family, arts and crafts, assorted food outlets and a beer market featuring several local breweries.  Festival-goers can also make full use of the lodge’s facilities, including a restaurant, rustic 150-year-old pub, children’s playground, swimming pool and satellite TV.

Now in its sixth year, White Mountain is KwaZulu-Natal’s only acoustic music festival and is known for its relaxed, family-friendly atmosphere, plentiful amenities and beautiful surroundings.  Situated less than 200km from Durban, 400km from Johannesburg and only 25km off the N3 on tarred roads, it makes for the ideal weekend getaway and also provides easy access to a number of nearby tourist attractions, including the Midlands Meander.

Tickets cost R500 at Computicket and include camping for the entire festival.  For more information, visit http://www.whitemountain.co.za or contact 031 563 0824.

Need a place to stay? Find accommodation in the Drakensberg for this event!

Wineries of Bot River celebrate together from 9 to 11 September 2011:  A fabulous weekend celebrating the advent of Spring for wine lovers, nature lovers and families to get together for the good-time event of the year with gastronomy, tastings, entertaining activities , local artists and so much more. Our line up this year kicks off with the Winemakers Selection on the 9th September 2011 to be held at  Kol Kol Mountain Lodge, Botrivier, tranquil with sweeping views of fynbos. Winemakers will be showcasing their wines revealing unique perspective on vine-to-glass progression and the personality of Bot River terroir complemented by culinary delights.  (Tickets cost R100.00).

Throughout the weekend participating Wine Estates and restaurants will announce their involvement by placing pink barrels at their entrances. Entertainment varies from horse riding, fly fishing, wine and olive oil tastings and blending, sumptuous meals, live music, pottery and art exhibitions. Entry Free. Saturday 10:00 -18:00 / Sunday 10:00 -15:00

Partygoers can shunt their cabooses over to the Bot River Station on Saturday 10th September for the Botriviera Spectacle. The theme is ‘carnival’, an excuse for guests to puff up their feathers and pimp their style for an evening of other-worldly and downright surreal entertainment. The party will be fuelled by DJ Charl who returns this year to rock the rails and steam up the venue. The loco-motion starts at 7 pm and the party will go on till late.  Tickets cost R100 and includes entry to the lucky draw and amazing giveaways.

Tickets available at Shuntin’ Shed.  Bot River is only 1.15 hours from Cape Town so whether one is visiting for a day or spending the weekend on one of the participating estates the Botriviera Spring Weekend provides an opportunity to discover and explore this fascinating area, meet the merry winemakers and enjoy their wines!

Join us and explore something out of the ordinary!
Find a place to stay at Botrivier Accommodation or see Cape Overberg accommodation for lodges nearby.

Cape Town is gearing up for festival season with many carnivals, creative and music events coming up later this month and throughout March.

Infecting the City, an annual public arts initiative, presented by The Africa Centre, offers free performance art happenings in public spaces in the City that are relevant to the theme and significant for Cape Town. This year’s theme, Treasure, engages its audiences with free street experiences such as Xhosa stick-fighting, a Goema Symphony, Ratiep, and flash mobs by inspirational artists from 21 – 26 February 2011. (www.infectingthecity.com)

Cape Town Pride, the City’s next ‘pink’ festival is scheduled for 24 February – 6 March 2011 with an eleven day celebration incorporating events such as a Mr. and Ms. Cape Town Pride pageant, a Pink Ball and the Pride Parade. The different aspects of this combinative event will take place across the city from Cape Town Stadium and gay-friendly suburb, De Waterkant, to Mzoli’s in Khayelitsha. (http://capetownpride.org)

Amongst many community festivals presented by the ‘One City, Many Cultures Project’ during the month of March, the annual Cape Town Festival is set to take place from 19 – 21 March 2011 in the Company Gardens. The Cape Town Festival is in its twelfth year of celebrating National Human Rights Day with music performances by diverse local bands over the three-day period. (www.capetownfestival.co.za) (more…)

The Brightwater Commons, in conjunction with the Chinese Embassy in South Africa will be hosting a celebration of the Chinese New Year on Saturday 12th February 2011. To start at 11am, this event will feature a variety of vibrant cultural performances as well as colourful exhibitions that will allow visitors to experience the beauty and diversity of the Chinese culture.

Whilst the exhibitions and stalls will open at 11am, the entertainment programme will begin at 1pm with an official opening ceremony. This will be followed by the ever popular and spectacular Lion and Dragon dances. Other performances that will dazzle and delight visitors will include an acrobatics, contortion and fire act; traditional Umbrella and Fan dancing, as well as demonstrations of martial arts.

The event’s highlight will be a set of acts by the talented Yunnan Arts Troupe originating from Yunnan, which is regarded as China’s most culturally diverse province. The professional 14 member troupe will reflect the colour and culture of the province through the dances of the region’s different ethnic minorities. They will also present a delightful magic show and Tibetan songs.

Visitors can also see a variety of cultural exhibitions, from arts and crafts all the way to clothing; and enjoy lunch on the commons as there will be numerous food stalls specializing in different kinds of delicious Chinese cuisine ranging from stir-fried dishes to sweet treats. The celebrations will close at 5pm.

According to the Chinese Zodiac calendar, 2011 is the Year of the Rabbit. To the Chinese people, speed, strength and kindness of heart are traits associated with the rabbit. They therefore believe that those born in the Year of the Rabbit are clever, romantic, modest and merciful. The rabbit is the 4th animal on the calendar, which dates back to more than 2000 years ago. There are 12 animals on the calendar which works in 12 year cycles. The Chinese believe that these animals appeared before Buddha or the Jade Emperor. The animals are listed on the calendar in their order of arrival, starting with the rat and followed by the ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog and pig.

For more information on the Chinese New Year Celebrations at The Brightwater Commons contact Francois on 011 789 5052.

See Randburg Accommodation to find a place to stay for this event.

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

24 000 Fresh succulent oysters must be eaten at South Africa’s 2nd largest oyster festival!

Fresh juicy oysters, fine wines and a variety of mouthwatering oyster dishes await visitors to this year’s Oyster, Wine & Food Festival. This delicious celebration of food will take place at The Brightwater Commons (Johannesburg, South Africa) on Saturday 1st and Sunday 2nd May from 11am daily. Food lovers can also sample a variety scrumptious treats ranging from gourmet cheeses and olives all the way to nougat and confectionery.

This year’s event promises to be bigger and better. There’ll be more oyster stations to prevent long queues, and a greater number of participating wine estates will provide wine lovers with an even greater selection for sampling. Live musical performances on the Saturday and Sunday will add to the festive ambiance. Whilst entry into the festival will be FREE, there will be a nominal fee involved for the sampling of various oyster dishes.

For more information, contact The Brightwater Commons on 011 789 5052
For a place to stay see Johannesburg Accommodation.

Knysna, February 25, 2010 – The popular Pick n Pay Knysna Oyster Festival will take place as usual this July (2-11), despite the 2010 World Cup. That’s the message from the festival team which is already working to put together a bumper programme for visitors to the 10-day event.

“It’s business as usual for the Oyster Festival”, says festival manager Nicci Rousseau-Schmidt, “and we’re ready to show South Africans that Knysna is the perfect place to be during the long holidays that schools will enjoy this year. “Our sponsors are on board and we’ve already had our first Joint Operations Committee meeting. We have no doubt that this year’s festival is going to be a great one.”

Rousseau-Schmidt said that Knysna was very excited to be hosting both the French and Danish football teams during the World Cup, the final games of which will overlap with the festival. “We are planning to add some French and Danish cultural events to the festival programme. However, from the end of June the final World Cup games will be played in Port Elizabeth, Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg and if the French and Danes qualify, that’s where they’ll have to be. So the Oyster Festival will be a great opportunity to escape from the soccer madness to Knysna.”

Rousseau-Schmidt said that Knysna Tourism has been working with its members to ensure that there will be accommodation available at reasonable rates over the period of the Oyster Festival. “Most establishments have undertaken not to hike rates over this period”.

The festival has grown considerably in the last few years, specifically since 2004 when Pick n Pay signed a five-year partnership agreement with Knysna Tourism, which is the custodian of the festival. This agreement was renewed in 2009 for a further five years until 2013.

Today the festival programme has over 100 events and attracts more than 13,000 cyclists and runners who participate in the two main sporting events, the Pick n Pay Weekend Argus Rotary Knysna Cycle Tour and the Pick n Pay Cape Times Knysna Marathon and Half Marathon. Last year the festival raised a record R1, 189,957 for local charities.

To find a place to stay visit Knysna accommodation and for more information about the festival visit www.oysterfestival.co.za.

Durbanville Wine Valley Feast of the Grape on Sunday, 21 March 2010: Harvesting the bounty of the vineyards is one of the most important moments in the making of good wine. The Durbanville Wine Valley celebrates ‘Feast of the Grape’, its annual Harvest Festival on Sunday, 21 March, signaling the end of the grape season and the beginning of autumn. Delight your senses with our complete package of wine, great food, fine music and other vendange activities.

SEE … natural beauty of the countryside, breathtaking views of the ocean and rolling hills

HEAR …you are spoilt for choice with stirring rhythms and soulful jazz as well as Jakkie Louw’s biggest festival hit “Drie pikkewyne”

TOUCH …get your hands dirty and join in the grape picking and traditional stomping of grapes

TASTE …the finest regional produce, grape inspired dishes, grape must and award winning wines

SMELL …the wonderful aromas and flavours wafting from the various food stalls, to nose the concentrated aromas of the magnificent range of intense, fruit driven yet elegant wines as different from each other as the slopes that create them.

From the vineyards to the Altydgedacht Cellar. Bring friends and the whole family along for a fun-filled day on this historic working farm in the green heart of Durbanville. Go on a vineyard tour, taste grape must (a rare treat only available at harvest time); enjoy wine tastings and indulge in delicious vintner’s picnic baskets available to order or harvest platters served from the restaurant.

Bloemendal Wine Estate once again shows its legendary knack for hosting fun-filled festivities under the famed poplar trees and calming lily pond. Join in the grape picking, traditional stomping of the grapes and making of wine in the cellar. Then linger for the wine tastings and fabulous lunch.

Toast the turn of the seasons with the world’s nr. 1 celebratory drink at De Grendel Estate. Join their festive harvest table for a decadent bubbly brunch. And have you ever wondered why they call their De Grendel Pinot Noir OP DIE BERG? Experience a vertical tasting with 4 De Grendel Pinot Noir vintages, paired with a Burgundy inspired dish. Boules can be played on their lawns around the cellar and platters will be available.

Diemersdal Estate is an idyllic spot for the whole family to get together and celebrate the wine valley’s harvest heritage. Bring your own picnic basket, blanket and enjoy a leisurely day under the shade trees of the farm. Drink in the natural beauty of the countryside; take a stroll through the vineyards, enjoy wine tastings or stomp grapes.

Catch the glorious aromas of a Sunday lunch spitbraai at D’Aria; enjoy the exhilarating experience of grape stomping, followed by a taste of wines from D’Aria Winery.Bookings are essential as space is limited and in high demand. Price includes lunch and grape stomping, but wines are excluded.

Celebrate the harvest at Durbanville Hills with its breathtaking views on the ocean and rolling hills. Moms, Dads, Grandma and Grandpa will be delighted with the amazing entertainment for the kids, from a jumping castle and water slide to sand art, piñatas and more. Drink in the fiesta atmosphere and flavours wafting from the various food stalls where delicious food can be bought. All this to the rhythms and sounds of the dj.

Be carried away by the live music on the sprawling lawns in our stunning quarry at Hillcrest Estate Suitable for the whole family with grape stomping, winemaking kits to take home, wine tasting and Jakkie Louw to end the day’s festivities. Concert goers can bring their picnic blankets and baskets along for an epic afternoon of Hillcrest Wines, Music and Dance. Wine and food will be on sale.

Meerendal is looking forward to spoil 50 energetic amateur wine makers with a fun day of grape picking, grape stomping – like in the old days by feet – and learning all the secrets of wine making with their cellar master Liza Goodwin. Included in the package is a sumptuous breakfast (you cannot work on an empty stomach!), all the grape picking and wine making activities and a vintner’s lunch platter with lots of Meerendal wine to enjoy! This activity is ideal for the whole family or a group of friends.

Spend the day in the company of the Vellers – owners of Nitida Cellars & enjoy award winning wines & carnival style foods. You pick & pay for what you feel like eating!

Deatails:
No entrance fee – plenty to do for the little’ies…sand art, candle making & a jumping castle. Rene van Reenen will entertain you with her repertoire of jazz & many other styles of live music. This will add the special touch to a relaxing day in our company.

Durbanville Wine Valley’s Feast of the Grape will be held at participating wine farms on Sunday, 21March 2010.

Bookings are essential! Contact the following participating farms directly: Altydgedacht, Bloemendal, D’Aria, De Grendel, Diemersdal, Durbanville Hills, Hillcrest, Meerendal and Nitida.

Contact details:
Altydgedacht: 021 975 7815
Bloemendal: 021 976 2682
D’Aria: 021 801 6772
De Grendel: 021 558 6280
Diemersdal: 021 976 3361
Durbanville Hills: 021 558 1300
Hillcrest: 021 975 2346 / 021 976 1110
Meerendal: 021 975 1655
Nitida: 021 976 1110

One river, three stages, more than 30 live music and comedy acts and 2000 festival goers with a passion for some of South Africa’s best music in common – get yourself ready for Up the Creek 2010.

The line up includes: The Dirty Skirts, The Rudimentals, Bed on Bricks, Flat Stanley, Dan Patlansky, Hot Water, The Black Cat Bones, Andra, Ryno Velvet, Dave Ferguson, Piet Botha, Akkedis, Ashtray Electric, Van Coke Kartel, Taxi Violence, The Pretty Blue Guns, Taxi Violence, Mr Cat and The Jackal, Willem Welsyn and the Sunrise Toffies, the Plastics, Fox Comet, an AC/DC Tribute slot and the debut performance of The Gods, with Albert Frost, Schalk van der Merwe on bass, Parri Luckhoff on vocals and Francois Kruger on drums.

Creekers can look forward to the return of Corné and Twakkie, together with a selection of some seriously funny comedians, including Dave Levinson. In typical Up the Creek tradition we will be running the main stage, the river stage and the all-night-long Breede River bar stage once again.

For the die-hard Creekers, we are putting on a show at the bar stage on the Thursday night. You can claim the best camping spot and enjoy an extra day Up the Creek. Watch the website for the Thursday night line-up.

In 2010, we will bring you the same of what worked last year and more: More food vendors to get you through the days in style, including coffee maestros that can deliver your caffeine to your tent-step, more stalls and more bars throughout the festival. Once again, there will be an area with committed staff to look after the kiddies, as well as dedicated life-guards to look after the young at heart at the river.

We are also revamping the loo’s and have already started watering the campsite for a nice green touch. But if this still does not get you excited about the idea of pitching a tent, simply pitch up, and rent one of our pre-pitched tents.

Tickets are available from 11 November– at the same price as the 2009 festival. Get yours for:
Pre-event:
At the gate
Full weekend plus Thursday: R500
Full weekend: R400
Saturday and Sunday: R325
Sunday: R150

At the gate:
Full weekend: R450
Saturday and Sunday: R375
Sunday: R150

Contact
To buy your tickets, or for any enquiries, phone Gareth at Red Hot events on +27 (0)21 510-0547
Not into camping? Find accommodation in Swellendam and stay in style.

How about ending the year off with a bang?

Hout Bay is one of the picturesque places to visit in Cape Town and is a must see for many of the visitors to Cape Town and during the Hour Bay Harbour Festival weekend the community is expecting an influx of visitors from in and around Cape Town, South Africa and even some foreign visitors.

The festival is organised by the Hout Bay Business Opportunities Forum and they have done a great job. You will be able to taste an assortment of seafood from the many restaurants in the area or purchase locals arts and crafts. How about watching some of the local theatre productions or listen to some good music. Take a swim in the sea, a ride on a fishing boat or attend a major angling event or for something different why not watch the ladies vlekking snoek.

Something for everyone can be found at the festival, make sure you don’t miss out.

For more information telephong +27 (0)21 791-1177
When: Friday, 11 December 2009 to Sunday, 13 December 2009
Accommodation: Hout Bay Accommodation

Are you looking for a fun way to kick off the new year? Then head into Still Bay from 1-4 January for some fun filled days.

This is hot, action packed holiday festival with activities for everyone. Take part in some beach soccer, flag sprinting, fun rances, a lagoon race, beach volley ball or the beach style Iron Man competition. There will also be a Miss Bikini contest as well as childrens competitions, promotions, dancers and a Samba beach bar.

More Information: Telephone Werner Rall on +27 (0)44 874-2015
When: Friday, 01 January 2010 to Monday, 04 January 2010
Accommodation: Still Bay Accommodation

A spectacle of lights and artistic performances at Spier!

Spier will celebrate the festive season with a dazzling display of lights and a diverse collection of artistic performances in the Festival of White Lights on 4 December 2009. The festival will be a journey across the estate led by an ‘Angel of Light’ on stilts and a penny-whistler.

Before the procession, festival-goers will enjoy award-winning Spier wines and a picnic on the lawns next to the Eerste Rivier to the soothing gospel and Christmas songs of the Abgondisi Brothers (Brothers of Understanding), a ten-member acapella-style music group established in the township of Kayamandi near Stellenbosch.

The journey through the estate will reveal numerous light installations with highlights including a dance piece choreographed by the renowned Jay Pather, a burning sculpture, and a display by FireTribe—a group of spectacular fire-dancers (in)famous for their gatherings on Clifton Beach in Cape Town.

Along the way, each participant will be given a balloon with a light inside it and a piece of paper tied to it. Festival-goers will be encouraged to write a message of goodwill and all the balloons will be released together, creating a spectacular effect, and spreading positive vibes around the area. The Festival of White Light is an annual event, and Spier’s way of celebrating the essence of the festive season.

Venue: Spier Wine Estate
Time: 20h00 – 22h00
When: Friday, 04 December 2009
Bookings: Computicket
Cost R100 for adults (includes glass of Spier wine), R60 for children, under the age of 12
Accommodation: Stellenbosch Accommodation

Two days of art, music, culture, street markets, parades, good food, good company & good times. Join the fun and excitement of the Uitenhage Street Carnival! Lots of Free entertainment, stalls for great buys, and yummy food. Entertainment includes musicians, dancers and performers, as well as a Street Parade on the Saturday, complete with floats.

The climax of the event will be the Saturday night, when the Christmas lights will officially be switched on.

When: Friday 4th to Saturday 5th December 2009
Where: Uitenhage
Categories: Entertainment / Outdoor Events
Contact: Telephone +27 (0)41 585-0906.
Address: Caledon Street, Uitenhage, Eastern Cape.
Where to Stay: Eastern Cape Accommodation

Come along and be a part of the 21st edition of this jam packed, hot and action filled adventure in George this Summer. Some of the fun sporting activities that everyone can be a part of are beach soccer, touch rugby, surfing and flag sprinting. There will also be children’s competitions, promotions and dancers as well as an after party. And if you are feeling bikini confident why not take part in their Miss Bikini pagent?

Venue: George’s Main Beach
When: Wednesday, 23 December 2009
Contact: Terra Firma Events on +27 (0)44 874-2015 for more information
Accommodation: George Accommodation, Herolds Bay Accommodation

Cape Town Central, a living work of art

This year the theme for Infecting the City is Human Rite. Where artists from all around the world will investigate this theme through performance works, art installations, choreographed pieces and public interventions all dealing with and questioning the knots, scars and wounds of the Cape Town CBD. These are no ordinarty shows as the venues are the streets and public spaces of Cape Town.

Audiences are invited to attend a series of evocative works of ritual healing – a transformative journey that celebrates our fundamental right to be human.

Venue: In and around Cape Town Central
When: Saturday, 13 February 2010 to Saturday, 20 February 2010
Where: Cape Town Central
Accommodation: Cape Town Central Accommodation