Tarka Street Festival will be total treat, extravaganza
The Tarka Street Festival in Mossel Bay will take place on 22 and 23 December.
It was established by local street artist James Malgas, who specialises in the creation and implementation of community art-based projects and combines his experience as a visual artist, art manager and sociologist, in creating art projects that have a lasting legacy on local communities, he says.
The Tarka Street Festival can be considered one of Mossel Bay's most popular community events, that draws together large crowds of people from all neighbourhoods in the greater Mossel Bay area, to celebrate the rich historical cultural heritage of the Tarka neighbourhood that has existed since the late 1800s.
The festival will include street art, cultural talks, stand-up comedy, live bands, rap concerts, vocalists, dancers, Miss Festive, Miss Festive Volrond, Tarka Trompoppies, aerobics, a magician and a potjiekos competition.
Art project
The festival build-up is from Monday, 19 December, until Thursday, 21 December, in the form of a street art project.
Three local visual artists and a few volunteers will paint a mural on a house in Kanarie Street.
Children will be able to have their faces painted for free and will be encouraged to create chalk drawings on the tarmac on the festival site.
Local artists, who will perform at the festival, will do rehearsals. During this time contestants can also enter for the potjiekos competition and the Tarka Street Festival beauty pageants - Miss Festive and Miss Festive Volrond.
Highlight
Waseef Pikaan, the popular standup comedian and Tik Tok influencer, Fransiena Willemse, will be the highlight of the festival. Popular poet, rapper, actor and stand- up comedian Hakkiesdraad Hartman will perform his latest Rieldans hit song, Roer My and will act as the event MC.
The rest of the line-up includes Meli Grey Dondas from Oudsthoorn, Fabreze Underrated, Kay Beast, Virgin, Smallz, J-Fly, Keano and other local rappers.
Four live bands will play at the festival including a performance by Popular RnB and jazz sensation Herbie Michaels and his group.
Precious Nkrumah and her band will bring an afro jazz flavour to the festival.
Other local bands are Ocean Breeze, Jazzy Vibes, Clay Sound and Jeremy Petersen. Local vocalists who will perform are Giovan Hendricks and Zanah Lee Erasmus.
Entrepreneur
Charles Theunissen will co-host the Culture Talk with Hakkiesdraad Hartman and will feature Tarka's entrepreneur "Morris Donkie" who as a 19-year-old bought a donkey and started selling wood.
Morris will share some of his stories with the public during the Culture Talk. This will be broadcast live on Facebook, Tik Tok and Instagram.
The festival have no official sponsors but will charge an entrance fee at the gate in order to cover the entire cost of the festival. The fee will be R50 for a day pass and R80 for the two-day pass.
Malgas says: "We call on everybody to support the Tarka Street Festival. It is a unique experience and not to be missed. Without the support of the people this event will not be possible."
To book food stalls, contact Elzaan Pietersen (073 576 3819) or James via WhatsApp (068 108 375).