Stellenbosch Heritage Festival 2013
The Stellenbosch Heritage Festival 2013 has it’s 2012 reputation to uphold and their aim is to go bigger (much bigger) this year, with braais, food-stalls, a mass choir, live music, sport, inter-schools friendship games and much more, all embracing and celebrating the unique cultural flavour of the South African Winelands and the diverse communities of Stellenbosch.
The Main Event will take place on September the 24th on the banks of Eerste Rivier along De Laan and will be for the whole community, young and old, as well as visitors to our corner of the Cape Winelands. Follow the link and see images of the Stellenbosch Heritage Festival 2012.
This year’s Stellenbosch Heritage Festival during September is turning into a sport festival of note as numerous sport events have now been added to the itinerary. Apart from the canoe and tube races on the river, Khayamandi Netball and Soccer Cup, and VriendsCUP Games between high schools this year will also see a night run, four cycling events and a rugby festival for primary schools.
The Moore Stephens 10km Night Run will be organized by Maties Athletics Club as an official event of Boland Athletics starting at 18:30 on Tuesday, 17 September. The run will start and finish at Coetzenburg and winds through the streets of Stellenbosch. It is also open to walkers. Pre-entries can be done at www.topevents.co.za but athletes can also register on the day. Contact Mohamed Ally at allym@sun.ac.za for more information.
The national launch of Get-Into-Rugby, facilitated by the Stellenbosch Academy of Sport under the auspices of the International Rugby Board, will take place on Heritage Day on the Markötter Fields in partnership with the Stellenbosch Heritage Project. Get-Into-Rugby introduces children to rugby using stories and safe rugby-related games that teach values and encourage all shapes and sizes to participate and have fun. At least 1,600 kids from 12 primary schools have enrolled, of whom some 900 will probably participate on the day.
The Eikestad Heritage Pedal events on Heritage Day 24 September have two cycling components: a road racing section over distance of 120km, 80km, and 40km; plus an off-road section which will include schools land communities in farm areas. These events will also help to promote awareness and encourage the use of the some 30 existing cycle routes in the town.
The VriendsCUP now staged a second time with the Heritage Project will take place on the Braak on 24 September from 8:00 to 12:00. Some 600 learners from 10 secondary schools will participate. The main purpose of this project is to build bridges and to develop interaction between the various communities in Stellenbosch through fun games in a non-competitive way.
The Maties Canoe Club will stage their annual Spier Eerste River Canoe Challenge from Hangbrug to Spier Wine Estate on Heritage Day starting at 10:00. It will also be the official US vs Ikeys Intervarsity this year. This dash down the river takes just under one hour and passes the River Festival site in the Die Laan. The canoeing fraternity regards this stretch of river as the most exciting in the Western Cape.
The Corporate and Interkoshuis Tube Races will follow straight after the canoe race and end at the River Festival site at Die Laan.
The numerous sport and cultural events of the Stellenbosch Heritage Project are staged in such a way that participants all eventually end up at the River Festival site in Die Laan which is closed down for traffic on Heritage Day, 24 September. Visitors can enjoy a free live music show by local groups for the entire day, numerous stalls selling authentic Stellenbosch products and food, and fun and games for the entire family.
Visit www.heritagefestival.co.za for more information.