And Durban
1 I HEART MARKET - CHRISTMAS MARKET
This platform for local design, craft, fashion and food has special festive-season editions on December 1, 8, 15 and 22, running from 9am - 2pm. Moses Mabhida Stadium. Free entry. See iheartmarket.com.
2 SHONGWENI CHRISTMAS EXTRAVAGANZA MARKET
This platform for the “green-fingered folk of the Midlands” runs on December 1, 8, 15 - 17, 22 and 29. Shongweni Resource Reserve. Free entry. See shongwenimarket.co.za.
3 HIMEVILLE FORT AND MUSEUM COUNTRY FAIR
This annual fair in the old fort in the ’Berg town of Himeville offers great food, collectibles and crafts. December 15, 9am - noon. Free entry. Find “Himeville Fort and Museum Country Fair” on Facebook.
4 SEE A PUPPET PANTOMIME
“Globe Trotting Suzy” sees its star travelling the world to see what children in other countries celebrate. Rhumbelow Theatre, December 9-21. R75 per person. See
https://events.durbantheatre.com.
5 STEAM TRAIN TO THE VALLEY OF 1,000 HILLS
The Umgeni Steam Railway is running steam-hauled return trains along the beautiful Old Natal Mainline from Kloof to the superb crafts market at Inchanga station every weekend this festive season from December 14. “Carols by Candelight” rides on some evenings.
R260 for adults, R190 for kids. See
umgenisteamrailway.com.
6 THE FESTIVE MARKET
Browse through over 100 tables of handmade gifts for the whole family at Durban’s largest indoor Christmas Market. Free entrance. December 7 to 16,
9am to 5pm daily at
Hillcrest High School. See thefestivemarket.co.za.
7 BOTANIC GARDENS TRAIL OF LIGHTS
There’ll be nightly entertainment, kids’ activities, a food garden and a festive market while the beautiful gardens are ablaze with millions of lights. Tickets at webtickets.co.za or Pick n Pay. December 12 - 30 (excluding Christmas Day). R65 per person. See trailoflights.co.za.
8 KZN NATIONAL BOTANICAL GARDENS
The tranquil KwaZulu-Natal National Botanical Garden specialises in the conservation of plants from the eastern region of SA and of rare and endangered species from elsewhere. One of the most spectacular features of the gardens is the avenue of London Plane trees, which form a breathtaking and romantic canopy over a leafy walkway. Pietermaritzburg. R30 per adult. See
https://www.sanbi.org.
9 AFRICAN BIRD OF PREY SANCTUARY
Here falconers enthral visitors with aerial displays of raptors, eagles and kites. The sanctuary rescues and rehabilitates birds of prey and runs a Bearded Vulture Breeding Programme, where discarded eggs in the wild are hatched and raised in captivity and released back into the wild when the chicks reach maturity. Flying shows on Wednesdays to Sundays at 10.30am. Lion Park Road, Pietermaritzburg.
R70 for adults, R40 for kids. See
http://africanraptor.co.za.
10 KZN MUSEUM
This museum boasts a number of unique collections including natural and cultural history galleries as well as a life-size T-Rex model. There are exhibitions dedicated to KZN history, geological and Paleontological material, a reconstruction of a Victorian street set in the late 1800s and you can walk through a recreation of a Drakensberg cave with rock art. Special “Make your own” crafting activities over the holidays, including a snowman (December 9) and dancing elf (December 12). R25 per child. Jabu Ndlovu Street, Pietermaritzburg. See nmsa.org.za.