A family-friendly excursion to an enchanting village could be just the thing to do over the Heritage Day long weekend later this month.
A family-friendly excursion to an enchanting village could be just the thing to do over the Heritage Day long weekend later this month.
From 21-24 September the Nieu Bethesda Festival will be filled with cultural activities, shows and a few surprises for guests once they arrive.
The festival will include performances and exhibitions by the talented local community and a diverse range of leading artists from throughout South Africa.
There is also a children’s theatre programme and origami artist Kyoko Kimura will teach festinos the ancient Japanese art of folding paper.
On Sunday there will be a full day workshop by Filou the Clown (Reinhard Horstkotte, a highly acclaimed professional clown from Berlin) at the Bethesda Art Centre.
Coinciding with Global Frackdown Day on 22 September a mini documentary film festival will be screened, educating visitors about fracking and related issues. Audiences can also expect to see anti-fracking shenanigans in the form of sculptures, street theatre and farmer-style interventions.
To add to the festival spirit there is a free stage in the centre of town where everyone can enjoy performances by all the artists, while jugglers and stilt walkers will create magic in the dusty streets.
If this is not enough, street theatre artists from Rhodes University will also be performing on the weekend.
Local delicacies and crafts will be on sale at the village market.
The festival is entirely community driven as there is no corporate sponsorship and all artists are travelling from far and wide for the joy of performance.
Check the 'Nieubethesdafest' Facebook page for more information. Follow the links to find accommodation and while there are plenty of guest houses in town it is advised to book early.
