PROMINENT EVENTS

The Sabie Forest Fair normally held at the GFP sports grounds on the Old Lydenburg Road, Sabie during the month of November. The show attracts a wide spectrum of suppliers of forestry, loading, timber transport, sawmilling and value-adding equipment whom will display their products and services with fixed and live demonstrations in different arenas.

The principal goal of the exhibition is to increase the profile of the forestry industry and related enterprises. Some companies use the event to network with existing and potential customers, while others will use this platform to launch new products and services into the local market. During the show timber growers also present their social, environmental and educational upliftment programs.

The reaction from the industry has been such that the organisers are predicting that the forest fair will become a major attraction in the small Mpumalangan forest town which lies at the heart of this multi-billion rand a year industry.

The Forest Fair is without a dought the ideal forum for potential buyers to chat to all the suppliers under one roof and conduct comparisons of the different types of equipment available. A number of competitions and challenges are part and parcel of the event held during the three day event.

Dulstroom is three hours from Johannesburg, nestled in the Steenkampsberg. The little village is best known for its pristine pools well stocked with large trout. It is known that Dullstroom is also the home of some of South Africa’s greatest cultural talent ranging from artisans who produce magnificent works of art in metal or wood, or talented musicians who seek inspiration from the surrounding rolling grasslands. Dullstroom is a haven of creativity sanctioned by the local residents. During the month of December for three days Dullstroom comes alive as locals show visitors that there is more to village than meets the eye.

The Festival of Art, Culture and Environment will showcase visual arts, sculpture, pottery, music and a gastronomic feast. The variety of the crafts created in the village is astounding and the quality of these crafts is quite unique and sought by locals and visitor alike.

The Dullstroom Festival also showcase a varied programme of performing artists. These artists perform on designated stages throughout the village, in the evenings they provide entertainment to patrons at the different restaurants scattered around town. During the festival each of the restaurants offer something extraordinary complimented by wine tasting from various estates.

The variety of cuisine on offer will be wide-ranging and it is advisable to try as many restaurants as possible. Visitors can choose from traditional Austrian cuisine and beer, boerekos with wines from Simonsig, and English "grub" accompanied with wines from the Swartland Estate.

The Dullstroom Bird of Prey and Rehabilitation Centre will be the hub of the environmental programme during the festival. The centre has been in existence since 1996 and in a year up to 200 birds come into the centre. There will be daily flying displays at in which experienced staff handle some of the resident birds of prey, and educate the audience about the particular birds in the display.

The centre has also established a range of captive breeding projects, which is a resource for gaining knowledge and understanding of raptors. Visitors to the centre are encouraged to interact after the displays and find out about the individual birds in the centre. In addition the centre experts from Highlands Crane Group will be sharing their knowledge with visitors.

The festival normally held during March has grown in stature and has become somewhat legendary since its establishment in 1996. The organisers are confident that due to growing attendance and interest in the festival, the event will become an annual outing to enjoy a charming country experience in the remote yet easily assessable Tonteldoos.

“We decided to stick to Easter because the long weekend makes it possible for people to explore the area, get to know more about its interesting history and just to relax and enjoy the peace and quiet amidst the beauty of nature. The many guest houses and lodges in the area with trout dams also make it a fly-fishing weekend break away par excellence. The Tonteldoos Country Festival on the Saturday ads the spice and colour to round off an unforgettable Easter weekend”, a representative said.

The festival promises to a certain extent shake off the mantle of being the best kept secret of a selected group. Items not to be missed on the programme include birds of prey in action, hot air balloons, an Easter Bonnet competition, arts and crafts, boeresport, Mr and Mrs Tonteldoos competitions and a model aeroplane show.

Numerous food and delicacy stalls will ensure that every visitor will feast to their hearts delight, from traditional pancakes and braaivleis to the more extraordinary. A well-stocked beer tent and a tea garden will cater for the thirsty traveller.

Tonteldoos is best known for its famous peach mampoer (a local drink) which originated here, apparently taken from the name of chieftain Mampure. It served as a successful means of bribery over a century ago. The abundantly available peach mampoer will no doubt be in great demand by visitors, as a festival favourite.

The Big Induna 75km event offers a very balanced course with the first 40km taking the riders over rolling terrain with some technical sections through the forests. The last 35km is more open with some relatively long climbs. There is a good balance of single-track, quad track and dirt roads and a total of 1820 metres of climbing.

The 40km event doubles as the fifth leg of the Fritz Pienaar Cycle Half-marathon Series and is expected to attract a large field. There will also be a 15km fun ride. If you are after pure adrenalin mountain biking, consider this event. Almost 70% of the riding is on singletrack which descent after the first longish climb, leaving competitors wanting more. The start of the race offers a stack of small, steep up hills to get the thighs and lungs burning.

The race takes the form of a figure of eight. This means that the 75km riders pass the start finish area on their way to a little piece of hell just other side of the river. The climbing really starts in earnest on the last third of the course, so for anyone planning to do the ride, keep some energy in reserve for the stretch.
The downhills are fun, leaving no opportunity to rest as they test your concentration to the brink. Take note of four wheelers as they make some serious ruts, and you best keep your wits about you. The race can be described as tough, technical a mountain bikers dream.
 

InniBos is an arts Festival with more than 60 theatre and music productions and art exhibitions at 14 different venues in and around Nelspruit. The festival grounds at the Hoërskool Bergvlam hosts full day, non stop entertainment on the 3 open stages and evening concerts with top artists on the main festival stage. Approximately 400 art and craft stalls and food stalls, restaurants, beer gardens and a children's entertainment area can also be found on the festival terrain.

Apart from the high-impact concerts staged on the Standard Bank stage on the main festival terrain every evening, InniBos also hosts an array of theatre, cabaret, classical and rock productions at various venues in and around Nelspruit. The visual arts are also well represented, including an arts meander and several art exhibitions.

InniBos, which gave birth to the 1st InniBos International Short Film Festival in 2006.The film festival, is now known as the Lowveld International Film Festival, to distinguish it from the InniBos Cultural Festival held at the same time of the year.

Located within an area known as the Greater Roossenekal Area, the little village of Roossenekal is unknown to most South Africans. However, this is the natural habitat of the much sought after Yellow Arum Lily (Zantedeschia Pentlandia), the flower which is celebrated for it's magnificent springtime display by a festival bearing it's name. The Yellow Arums are endemic (i.e. only occurring naturally in a confined floristic area) to our area and we treasure this phenomenon , hence the annual festival in Roossenekal.

Though, there is more to the festival than just a celebration of the flower itself. As the Local Tourism Organisation, (or GRPA) has identified it as a powerful marketing tool with which we introduce tourists to this unique area. The festival's success, as with the flower itself, still stands on a delicate foundation and needs all the assistance that can mustered to realise its full potential. Starting off only as a Boeremark in 1998, it has however developed to become a mayor tourist attraction in the area. With the gradually increasing number of people becoming dependant on the income generated from tourists, we need to consolidate our community and focus all our attention on this coming festival.

Rooosenekal was named in honour of Commandant Senekal and Field Cornet Roos who were killed in the Mapoch War of this area in 1882. The entire settlement except for the Church was burnt to the ground in 1901 during the Anglo-Boer War. The new village was built and proclaimed in 1934.