Cape Town South Africa

This coming Saturday, 30 August 2008, Cape Town will explode in an array of colour and whimsy as a parade of gigantic puppets take to the streets as part of the Out of the Box Festival.

The French Institute, in collaboration with Alliances Françaises in South Africa and Lesotho, will present Les Grandes Personnes. In a creative collaboration between French and local artists, a family of four gigantic puppets, measuring up to four metres tall, will stage À la Corde, which aims to draw audience members of both young and old into the imaginative world of a little boy called Odilon. The puppets will be joined by a life-sized Elephant created by Solms Delta with Sogo Theatre.

Spectators will be able and encouraged to take part in the different stages of Odilon’s life, using their hands and voices, repeating sentences and passing sculptures around.

Les Grandes Personnes will parade through Cape Town this Saturday and Sunday, after which the tour will continue throughout South Africa. The parade kicks off at the Alliançes Françaises (located at 155 Loop St) at 2pm.

*  For more information, see www.unima.za.org

The Argus is on us again and a barrage of cyclist will swarm down on Cape Town in spectacular fashion. For those that are not keen on cycling, but still want to enjoy a reasonably peaceful weekend in Cape Town, please note below the road closures that will apply over this weekend in Cape Town during the Argus Cycle Tour:

Saturday, 08 March 2008

Foreshore, Cape Town CBD:
Road: Hertzog Boulevard - Outbound carriageway between Heerengracht and Oswald Pirow
Time: Saturday 16h00 – Sunday 11h30

Green Point:
Road: Western Boulevard - Beach Road to Green Point Circle (City-bound carriageway)
Time: Saturday 14h30 – Sunday 18h30

Sunday, 09 March 2008

Foreshore:
Road: Hertzog Boulevard - Both carriageways between Heerengracht and Eastern Boulevard (N2)
Time: 00h01 – 11h30

Foreshore:
Road: Heerengracht - Both carriageways between Hans Strijdom Avenue (Fountain Circle) and Table Bay Boulevard
Time: 04h00 – 11h30

Woodstock, University Estate:
Road: De Waal Drive (M3) - Outbound between Roodebloem Road and Hospital Bend. Traffic will be diverted to Main Road
Time: 06h00 – 11h45

Woodstock:
Road: Eastern Boulevard (N2) - Southbound
Time: 06h00 – 11h45

Hospital Bend (N2, M3) Interchange:
Roads: Settlers Way (N2) to M3 (Muizenberg) ramp Southbound
M3 on-ramp from Groote Schuur Hospital (Southbound)
Time: 06h00 – 11h45

Mowbray, Rondebosch, Newlands, Claremont, Bishops Court:
Road: M3 (Rhodes Drive, Union Avenue, Paradise, Edinburgh Drive) Southbound, including all on-ramps between Table Bay Boulevard up to Trovato Link
Time: 06h00 – 11h45

Wynberg, Constantia, Tokai:
Road: M3 Freeway (Blue Route) - Southbound, including all on-ramps between Trovato Link and Steenberg Road
Time: 06h00 – 12h15

Tokai:
Road: Steenberg Rd (M42) - M3 off-ramp to Main Road
Time:    06h15 – 12h15

Tokai, Lakeside, Muizenberg, False Bay Coast to Cape Point, Scarborough
Roads:  Main Road (M4) NB: Northbound and Southbound,

06h15 -12h15:  Steenberg Road to Boyes Drive
06h15 – 12h30:  Boyes Drive to Atlantic Road
06h15 – 12h50:  Atlantic Road to Fish Hoek Traffic Circle
06h30 – 13h00:  Fish Hoek Traffic Circle to Glen Road, Glencairn
06h30 – 13h15:  Glen Road to Simon’s Town
06h45 – 14h30:  Simon’s Town to entrance of Cape Point Nature Reserve
07h00 – 14h30:  Entrance of Cape Point Nature Reserve (M4) to Perdekloof (M65)
07h00 – 15h00:  Perdekloof to Sweet Water

Cape Point, Scarborough, Kommetjie, Ocean View
Road: Slangkop Road (M82) - Sweet Water to Kommetjie Road (M65)
Time: 07h00 - 15h00

Kommetjie, Ocean View, Masiphumelela
Road: Kommetjie Road (M65) - Slangkop Road to Glencairn Expressway (M6)
Time: 07h00 - 15h30

Noordhoek, Sun Valley
Road: Ou Kaapseweg Ext. (M64) - Kommetjie Road (M65) to Noordhoek Road (M6)
Time: 07h00 - 15h30

Noordhoek, Sun Valley
Road: Noordhoek Road (M6) - Ou Kaapseweg Ext. (M64) to base of Chapman’s Peak Drive
Time: 07h00 - 16h00

Noordhoek, Hout Bay
Road: Chapman’s Peak Drive (M6) - Noordhoek Road (M6) to Princess Road
Time: 07h00 - 16h30

Hout Bay, Llandudno
Road: Princess Road (M90) - Chapman’s Peak Drive to Victoria Avenue (M6) Hout Bay
Time: 07h15 - 16h30

Hout Bay, Llandudno, Camps Bay, Bakoven
Road: Victoria Road (M6) Northbound and Southbound, Princess Road (M90) Hout Bay to Camps Bay
Time:  07h30 - 17h00

Camps Bay, Bantry Bay and Clifton
Road: Victoria Road (M6) Northbound and Southbound Houghton Rd to Camps Bay Drive
Time: 07h30 - 17h30

Camps Bay, Bantry Bay and Clifton
Road: Camps Bay Drive to The Mead Way
Time:  05h00 - 17h45

Camps Bay, Clifton, Bantry Bay
Road:  Victoria Road (M6) - North and Southbound, The Mead Way to Lower Kloof Road
Time: 07h30 - 17h45

Camps Bay, Clifton, Bantry Bay
Road: Victoria Road (M6) - Northbound and Southbound, Lower Kloof Road to Queens Road, Sea Point
Time: 04h00 - 17h45

Bantry Bay, Sea Point
Road: Queens Road (M6) - Victoria Road to Beach Road
Time: 06h00 - 17h45

Sea Point, Green Point & Mouille Point
Road: Beach Road (M6) City-bound carriageway
06h00 – 18h30: Queens Road circle to St Johns Road
04h00 - 18h30: St Johns Road to Arthurs Road
07h30 - 18h30: Arthurs Road to Western Boulevard (M6)

Green Point area
Road: Fritz Sonnenberg between Stadium Road and Green Point Circle: Closed for construction of Stadium

Green Point area
Road: Western Boulevard (M6) - Sea Point-bound from Green Point Circle to Beach Road
Time: 04h00 - 18h30

The Cape Town Cycle Tour Trust, organizers of the Cycle Tour, appeal to all residents in Muizenberg, St James, Kalk Bay, Clifton, Bantry Bay and Sea Point (including Victoria and Beach Road) not to park along the Main Road.  Please use alternative side roads or designated parking areas.

Excessive delays can be expected.  Please use alternative routes and comply with all instructions given by traffic officers and marshals.

Cape Town’s ultimate consumer wine festival is here again. If you want to sample hundreds of South Africa’s top wines, be sure not to miss this event!

Early Bird ticket price R70 valid for purchases by Sunday 2 September. Bookings made from Mon. 3 September and tickets bought at the door for Wednesday and Thursday R85; Friday R90.

The Knysna Oyster Festival is upon us again and starts the 6th of July and ends the 15th of July 2007. This is a great breakaway for anyone that’s in Cape Town with exciting things to do including food, wine and sports. There’s also a new feature called Young Oyster Festival to keep the young folk happy and out from under the older folk’s feet so fun far all your family. Check out www.oysterfestival.co.za for more…

Date: 1 - 3 June 2007
Where: Robertson Wine Valley

Robertson is having what’s sure to be a crazy weekend of top wines and festive atmosphere in their new ‘Wacky Wine Weekend’. Most estates have entertainment and parties and accommodation nearby, allthough accommodation is quickly filling up, so it’s best to check out www.wackywineweekend.co.za immediately to see if you can still find accommodation.

Wine estates that will be taking part (with jam packed events):

• Arabella Estate
• Arendsig Boutique Winery
• Ashton Kelder
• Bon Cap Organic Winery
• Bon Courage Estate
• Bonnievale Wine Cellar
• Buitehof Boutique Winery
• Burcon Wines
• Burgershof
• Community Craft & Food Corner (not estate, but organised by the Breede River Winelands Municipality)
• Clairvaux Private Cellar
• Cloverfield Wines
• De Wetshof Estate
• DuVon Wines @ Little France
• Excelsior Estate
• Fraai Uitzicht 1798
• Goedverwacht Estate
• Graham Beck Wines
• Janeza Private Cellar
• Jonkheer
• Kingsriver Estate
• Koningsrivier Boutique Winery
• Kranskop Boutique Winery
• Langverwacht Cellar
• Le Grand Chasseur 1881
• Lord’s Winery
• Majors’ Hill
• McGregor Winery
• Mooiuitsig Winery @ Outdoor Arena
• Quando Wines
• Rietvallei Estate
• Robertson Winery
• Roodezandt Wines & Vineyards
• Rooiberg Winery
• Rosendal
• Rusticus Vintage Cellar
• Springfield Estate
• Tanagra
• The Home of Klipdrift
• Van Loveren
• Van Zylshof Winery
• Viljoensdrift Wines and Cruises
• Wederom Boutique Winery
• Weltevrede Estate
• Wonderfontein
• Wolfkloof
• Wolvendrift Wines
• Zandvliet Estate

As you can see this is a major event for the Robertson Wine Valley. Everybody is welcome and make your bookings in advance, because this festival is sure to attract many people! Robertson is about an hour and 30 minutes from Cape Town via the N1 through Worcester. For more information, visit www.wackywineweekend.com.

The Good Food and Wine Show is on again from the 24th until the 27th of May 2007. The 24th is a Trade day, so social visitors should only go from the 25th onwards. See many celebrity Chefs battling it out in cookoffs, cooking workshops and more and experience the best that the Cape Winelands has to offer through hundreds of wines available for tasting. Call the HOTLINE: 084 565 0069 for more information. Entrance is R70 for Adults and R30 for children under 12 & pensioners and tickets can be booked at Computicket.

The Cape Town Intenational Jazz Festival is upon us on the 30th and 31st of March 2007. 7 International artists will be performing at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC). Aspiring Jazz musicians will also be able to attend Jazz workshops. A Jazz conference will commence on the 29th at the CTICC and as with previous festivals, a free Jazz concert will be performed by various local and international artists at the Green Market Square on Thursday the  29th of March 2007, 17h00 - 22h30. For more information, visit www.capetownjazzfest.com.

The annual Cape Town festival is underway and promises even bigger and better entertainment than previous years. View a multitude of cultural events from theatre, music and art performances. For more information, visit the Cape Town Festival website.

It’s that time of the year again and the Pick ‘n Pay Argus Cycle Tour is on our doorstep. To avoid frustration, have a look at the temporary road closures in and around Cape Town during tomorrow’s race. Some of the roads will be close on Saturday afternoon already, so make your plans well in advance!

Street legal drags are back at Killarney this Sunday the 25th of February. Should be jammed packed with drag action and we have a contingent from Kwazulu-Natal that came down to take on the local racing talent. Come early (from 09:00 onwards) to avoid disappointment!