events

Cultivaria -A Fest with Finesse The Cultivaria Festival in Paarl kicks off this year with the Bovril Black Tie Dinner Table, hosted in Paarl Main Road on Thursday, 20th September. Then, from 21st - 24th September the historic Boland town will become a cultural hub with 100 productions staged in 11 different venues. The multi-lingual productions cover a wide spectrum of entertainment genres, including drama, dance and music. The musical kaleidoscope provides a variety that will suit any music lover, as it ranges from popular music, rock, and jazz to classical and instrumental performances. Art lovers can look forward to the FNB Private Clients Wine & Art Route that will feature 100 top artists at 14 galleries within a four-kilometre stretch. The latest addition to Cultivaria is the state-of-the-art Heinz/Food & Home Food Theatre, where celebrity chefs will present food demonstrations throughout the festival. Bookings for productions, shows, restaurants and accommodation can be done on the website at www.cultivaria.com. Whisky, Whales & All That Jazz Head to Plettenberg Bay this month for the Whisky, Whales & Jazz Festival, being held from 21st - 24th September. The jam-packed weekend features an impressive musical line-up of various jazz musicians performing at the hottest venues around town, combined with the finest whiskies and spectacular whale sightings. The newly revamped Main Street will be an entertainment hub, with tailor-made activities such as late-night shopping, street parties and displays guaranteed to pull the crowds. A special kids' programme with entertainment and activities for the younger generation will run for the duration of the festival. The weekend will culminate in a Heritage Day beach jazz festival at Central Beach on Sunday, 23ld September. The sizzling hot line-up for this event will include inspirational sounds from some of the country's hottest jazz musicians, such as Freshlyground, Dino Miranda and his seven-piece band, sexy songbird Lira, the Offshore Jazz Quartet, Ladies in Jazz, Malaika and Selaelo Selota. Special festival accommodation packages are available. For more information and bookings, visit www.tourismplettenbergbay.co.za or contact Bitou Tourism on +27 44 533 4065.
Knysna Gastronomica To the delight of food lovers, the annual Gastronomica Festival, a gourmet food celebration, is once again upon us. Taking place from 23rd September to 1st October, Gastronomica is an eclectic mix of food, wine, beer, dance, music, passion, food theatre and performing arts. There are various events that will be taking place over the nine days, including lavish banquets, food theatres and fishing expeditions. The Festival was initiated three years ago to stimulate a sustainable tourism industry in Knysna and the Garden Route, and it places an exciting focus on the area's growing reputation as a forward-looking culinary and tourism centre. The Knysna Gastronomica Festival is filled to bursting with the dynamic diversity of the people of the Garden Route-their energy and spirit, and their belief in development through positive energy. For more information, contact +27 44 302 5749 or visit www.gastronomicakny.co.za.