And then its spring and the festivals begin.
Everyone comes out of hibernation and there is a
huge sense of celebration because we’ve made it
through another winter. The lagoons breach; we find
ourselves surrounded by flowers and blossoms; the
whales are back in full force; there is an abundance
of bird life and when we wake up at 6.30am to get
the kids to school – there is light!
Almost all of the villages in the Overberg have a
festival between spring and summer. Festivals for
fynbos, for whales, for wine, for birds, for roses and
for seafood. Some locals dread the summer because
of the huge influx of people into our towns. They
complain about queues and parking and traffic. The
elderly and very young children, in particular, can’t
quite fathom why they have to suddenly share their
sidewalks and beaches with a multitude of other
people. However, most locals love visitors. Not only
do holidaymakers make it economically possible for
us to live in this beautiful environment, but they also
provide us with some light relief from one another’s
company.
Some of my favourite festivals over this period are
the Bot River Spring Festival; the Hermanus Whale
Fringe Festival; the Elim Wine and Food Fair; the
Stanford Flocktober Festival; the Greyton Rose Fair;
Herman Van Bon
the Bot River Barrel Race; Elgin Open Gardens;
the Napier Horse & Cart Festival (this year it is the
175th Anniversary Festival) and the Swellendam
Canola Festival. I can’t always get to all of them but
whichever I end up attending they are always funfilled and eternally memorable.
Overberg festivals are always guaranteed to have
traditional fare like pancakes and potjiekos as well
as music and dancing, art exhibitions, craft markets,
a sporting event or two, fabulous food and wine; and
overwhelmingly warm, hospitable locals. They are
an ideal opportunity to explore the back roads of
the Overberg and discover the hidden gems of each
village.
Bot River Spring Festival (1st Weekend in September)
Hermanus Whale Fringe Festival (20-23 September 2013)
Elim Wine and Food Fair (28th September 2013)
Stanford Flocktober Festival (4-6 October 2013)
Greyton Rose Fair (26-27 October 2013)
Bot River Barrel Race (26 October 2013)
Elgin Open Gardens (2-3 & 9-10 November 2013)
Napier Horse & Cart Festival (10-23 November 2013)
Swellendam Canola Festival (29 November & 30 December
2013)