The Village Green was back in full swing early on Wednesday after Monday night's floods kept it closed on Tuesday for mop-up operations.
The Village Green was back in full swing early on Wednesday after Monday night's floods kept it closed on Tuesday for mop-up operations.
It was chaos on Tuesday morning as stall holders, arriving to open up for the day, were instead asked to rescue their stock from the water and told that for their own safety, and that of Festival-goers, the site would be closed for the day.
The Village Green had not been spared the havoc that heavy rain across most of the Eastern Cape wreaked on Monday night and Tuesday morning, with huge pools of water lying around, too big even for the wood-chip surface to absorb.. Fair director, Selena White, said, "We do not want to endanger people and have them tripping on tent poles and injuring themselves. That is why we decided to shut the place down. "We value the lives of the stall owners and that of the customers. The stall owners will start trading again once the rain stops," said White.
Cue magazine also reported in its Wednesday edition that electrical and structural engineers were also to have been brought in to do safety checks. "We have [the public's]best interests at heart," said White, explaining that an irrigation expert had been brought in to pump out the excess water.
By Wednesday, it was back to business for the stall holders, and thousands of Festival-goers eager for the unusual arts, crafts and tasty treats that the venue is famous for.
