23 Four top events this month
This month’s most travel-worthy events
High-energy feasting
Can fitness fanatics and pure hedonists play nicely together? It seems yes, if the success of the Knysna Oyster Festival is anything to go by. Its name doesn’t give the full story – not just oysters but all kinds of seafood, plus plenty of activities to take part in: cycling, running, kayaking, obstacle courses, a women’s walk, golf and more. (Is oyster eating and shucking a sport? Yes, if it’s a competition!) There’s lots of opportunity to fuel up, from the wine festival, a night market and SASSI fish braai to the gourmet Flavours of Knysna event and Seafood Wednesday. Music concerts and the Comedy Chuckle provide the rare chance to just sit back and do nothing. 7 – 16 July. oysterfestival.co.za
Just down the road, new at the JBay Winterfest (12 – 23 July) is a retro single-fin slider surf-lifestyle event. Plus lumo kite-flying by night! jbaywinterfest.com
Banish winter blues
The Cape Town Funny Festival is not just a bunch of guys standing up in front of a crowd and telling jokes – although there will be those, plus a woman too (Mel Jones). No, this festival embraces all kinds of funny, and with a circus theme this year, expect a Guinness Record-holding ‘rubberman’ from Norway, a juggler from Vegas who looks like Freddie Mercury, and a man from London who makes magic hilarious, not mysterious. From South Africa there’s Loyiso Madinga and Ndumiso Lindi representing Jozi, Dalin Oliver (whose day job is a radio sports presenter) and Pay Back the Curry’s Daniel Richards, plus Marc Lottering and Alan Committie, who need no introduction. Tickets R190 pp. 10 July – 6 August at the Baxter Theatre. computicket.co.za
A wild family festival
What pushes your excitement buttons? The opportunity to ride in a Merc 4x4 with a stunt driver, watching extreme motorcyclists tackle crazy obstacles, or tucking into a sheep’s head feast at a long-table banquet? Or, for the younger ones, how about funfair rides, bouncing on beds, playing a game of giant jenga or pick-up sticks, or exploring a seasonthemed fairy wonderland? These are all on offer at the Kirkwood Wildsfees in the Sundays River Valley near PE. Jack Parow will be among the many entertainers, SAB has two beer tents this year (Lagerville, with crazy games like beer pong and 10-pin kicking, and the Flavourfontein Beach Bar) and rangers from Addo Elephant Park will do an action-packed antipoaching simulation drill. Entry R150 adult, R70 child (weekend pass R350 adult, R150 child). 30 June – 2 July. wildsfees.co.za
Discover art
It’s art, but with less of the fluffy language and more of a good time, basically, with live music, food and drink stalls, talks, films, walkabouts – and children are welcome. The aim of Joburg’s Turbine Art Fair is to make art and the collecting of it more accessible, so nothing here costs more than R50 000 (a lot of it is far cheaper, though). The fair supports emerging artists, such as the 15 specially curated and grouped together as ‘Fresh Produce’, and paintings by our most recent art school graduates. One of SA’s major private (rarely seen) collections of Pierneef works will also be exhibited, and there are always fascinating installations to explore. Tickets R100 pp (R200 weekend pass). 14 – 16 July. turbineartfair.co.za