The Riebeek Valley Olive Festival has been voted one of the best food festivals in the Western Cape and it’s easy to see why. A two-day lifestyle festival offering the most divine olives and olive products, and the best wine, cheese, pickles, jams, bread and an eclectic mix of local character from the quaint towns in a region of wheatlands, vineyards and olive groves, and the dramatic Kasteelberg. All just an hour from Cape Town.
If you’re looking to get out of the city this weekend, the Riebeek Valley Country Fair (part of Medfest 2012) takes place in the famous Short Street and offers a fabulous range of products and produce from the Riebeek Valley - made up of Riebeek Kasteel, Riebeek West, Hermon & Riebeeksrivier), Malmesbury, Darling, Mooreesburg, Yzerfontein and Koringberg, with something for everyone, including kiddies.
The Toffie Pop Culture Conference & Festival this weekend focuses everything pop culture: from design to music, art to publishing and everything in between. Part of the festival is the You & Me & Everyone We Know market with designer goods, retro-refashion, tech-tronics, multi-colour blocking coffee, cocktails & drinks, baked goods & traditional boeries, a fantastic DJ line up and lots more
Cape Town’s culinary event of the year is less than a month away and this year Taste of Cape Town has partnered with Table Magic. The city’s most acclaimed restaurants and top chefs, and carefully selected exhibitors, are preparing to delight dedicated foodies from 19 to 22 April, and Table Magic is running an exclusive offer: book online via Table Magic and receive one free entry-only ticket with every three purchased.
Bar Bar Black Sheep in Riebeek Kastel is celebrating Spain in this year’s Medfest. Performances by The Solo Flamenco Dance Co., with five dancers, a guitarist and vocalist will be the perfect accompaniment to a menu of tapas and mains that include highlights such as rabbit stew with chestnuts, smoked paprika chicken with hot smoked sausages, spicy, Moorish pork kebabs and traditional Andalucian gazpacho.
One of the highlights of the Riebeek Valley’s Medfest takes place at Bazaar (Church Museum) on Friday, 30 March. To get you into the perfect Mediterranean mood, enjoy tapas and wine accompanied by singer / songwriter Danelle de Vries. Danelle sings of all the meddlesome yet magical aspects of the human condition, with humour and love. Drink & tapas served at 7-30pm and the show starts at 8pm.
The annual Medfest, hosted by the Riebeek Valley, a mere one hours drive from Cape Town, is a sensorial destination where lovers of all things Mediterranean converge to treat their palates to a mouthwatering journey across its famous culinary landscape. From 31 March to 1 April, the MedFest again promises both serious gourmands as well as casual foodies the opportunity to entertain their culinary senses.
The Cape Town Carnival is set to once again ignite the Mother City in a spectacular celebration on 24 March. The Cape to Cairo theme celebrates the African continent with a parade that includes richly-decorated floats and an array of performers in larger-than-life costumes. The parade will be followed by a free street party and extra buses and trains will be provided to get everyone home safely after the festivities.
Young and old can delight in a fun-filled family day blended with the finest wines from the Simonsberg area, country food, craft stalls with proudly local produce, harvest activities and horse rides when more than twenty top Stellenbosch wine cellars descend on Delvera agri-village to share their finest gems on Market Day on Sunday, 11 March, 2012. Entry is free and a shuttle service is available to and from Stellenbosch.
Infecting the City, from 6 - 10 March, is an innovative, out of the ordinary public festival that places provocative, innovative art in the communal spaces of the City’s Central Business District and celebrates a trove of diverse cultures, traditions and heritages in unexpectedly contagious ways. It’s intent is to reclaim public space for the public and allow for an unusual way of interacting with their city.
Don a festive attitude and head out to the Stellenbosch Winelands on Sunday, 4 March when Eikendal Estate pays homage to 31 years of quality winemaking with its popular Weintaufe Harvest Celebration. Delicious food and wine will be on sale so swap the Sunday roast for a sublime afternoon on the lawns and loads of entertainment including live music, stalls, tractor rides, fly fishing, barrel stomping and pony rides.
This month sees two delicious, not to be missed events hosted by Dear Me and Tjing Tjing in collaboration with Frankie Fenner. Together at Tjing Tjing celebrates creativity and originality along with leading designers, while the Meat-A-Palooza showcase ethically-sourced meat in all its glory. Sandwiched between these two, chef Vanessa Marx participates at the Constantia Fresh Festival.
You still have time to taste some fantastic whiskies from around the world or attend a whisky workshop. More than 180 local and international whiskies, a choice of liqueurs, a host of new releases to the SA market and a range of luxury lifestyle products are just some of the highlights of this year’s FNB Whisky Live festival, the largest festival of its kind in the world
The Swartland comes to Kirstenbosch this Saturday, 8 October. Don’t miss the Swartland Country Market where you can meet and greet winemakers, taste the region’s wine and olives, and mouthwatering cuisine, and enjoy great entertainment for adults and children.
Beaumont Wines invites you to join them on 8 & 9 October for the Blossom Festival in the Green Mountain Eco Route. Enjoy a bread making day or just pop in to experience a working water mill; both experiences include wine tasting and lunch. The more energetic can discover floral treasures amidst the fynbos on a guided walk.
21 September sees the start of “the biggest boekjol the city has ever seen!” The first ever Open Book Festival is a five-day extravaganza of books, local and international authors, readings, conversations, talks, poetry, meals, Writer Sports and more. The festival takes place at venues around the city and includes a focus on the youth.
The Bay Harbour Market in Hout Bay, which opened to rave reviews this winter, is launching its Summer Night Markets this Friday, 9 September. Experience an authentic slice of South African creativity, culture and cuisine.
Get ready for a magnificent, opulent, tremendous, stupendous, gargantuan, bedazzling, sensual spectacular at the BotRiviera Spring Weekend that includes, inter alia, horse riding, fly fishing, wine and olive oil tastings and blending, sumptuous meals, live music, pottery and art exhibitions, games, face painting, bike courses and much more besides
The first ever Toffee Food Festival and Conference promises to be a feast of tastings, meals, workshops, food exhibitions, a food market, a cookbook shop and a pinata exhibition.