The top events this month
worth travelling for this month
Wake up to music
Wakkerstroom, ‘The Jewel of Mpumalanga’ and Dorp of the Year 2018, is turning 160 years old this year. Famous for its birding, biking and scenic spots, the town will be celebrating in style with a weekend of more than 60 concerts and performances. The
Wakkerstroom Music Festival is no party-party with thumping beats – it’s strictly baroque, chamber music, piano recitals and classic-jazz crossovers, played by professionals and students. Venues range from St Joseph’s Church and the Old Bioscope to the Papillon barn. Highlights include Carmen in Concert, Mozart’s Requiem, the Odeion string quartet, Vivace guitar duo (right), marimba maestro Magda de Vries and a big gala concert. Tickets R100–R280.
20–24 March. wmfestival.co.za
Joburg gets festive
No saying you’re bored in Joburg this month! Catch the International
Comedy Festival where our funniest (John Vlismas, Tumi Morake, Loyiso Gola etc) will be in side-splitting form along with guests such as Dane Baptiste
(UK), Dubai’s Ali Al Sayed (right) and Britain’s Got Talent finalist Daliso Chaponda (who’s from Malawi). 14–16 March. jicf.co.za
If you prefer booty-shakin’, the Afro-Latin Festival draws dancers and DJs from around the world for a feast of salsa, tango, kizomba, bachata, mambo and more. 14–17 March. afrolatinfestival.co.za
Plus there’s the SA International
Film Festival, dedicated to Africa, the diaspora and Brics countries – and which hands out cool leaping-lion statuettes on award night. 1–10 March. rapidlion.co.za Cape Town hosts the International
Animation Festival on 8–10 March. Forget that Disneyfied stuff we see at cinemas – these are some of the most brilliant films in the world, not usually seen in SA. ctiaf.com
Veggie capers
The biggest pumpkin in the world weighed 1 190kg (a record set in 2016). The biggest so far at SA’s Giant Pumpkin Festival in Heidelberg was 532,4kg, entered last year by Piet Lotz (pictured below). This year, growers will be out to beat that and win R15 000 or R30 000 for the SA record (556kg), or R150 000 for a world record! Prizes will also be awarded to the ugliest and prettiest pampoen. Apart from scary-big veggies, there’s an MTB race, a trail run, golf day, potjiekos competition, live music and dancing. 8–9 March. pumpkinfestival.co.za
To win your own prize, enter East London’s Cabbage Patch trail run or MTB ride – the first 500 finishers each receive a cabbage. Plus there’s a market, beer tent, camping and music. 9 March. entrytickets.net
Do a ‘wine crawl’
Grape-stomping is good for you – it relieves stress and results in wine (enough said!). The annual harvest is in full swing and over one weekend, three regions are offering working-farm experiences such as grape-picking and tractor rides, along with good food, wine and live music. In Paarl, SA’s second-oldest wine route, nine wineries will have all of the above attractions. 2 March. paarlharvestcelebration.co.za Over in Stellenbosch, there’s Muratie’s Harvest Fest on 2 March (021-8652330) and Eikendal’s popular Weintaufe on 3 March (021-8551422) – entry to both costs R120 pp. Robertson has the biggest celebration of all with its Hands-On Harvest – where you can try mosbolletjies, have a picnic, play croquet and taste bubbly, brandy and grappa.
1–3 March. handsonharvest.com