There’s no need to slumber indoors this winter… Get your culture fix at the 10th Hermanus FynArts Festival, experience yoga at Lourensford, take part in an exhilarating trail run, visit the Dorp Street Sunday Market and settle down for a picnic at Vergenoegd Löw Wine Estate.
Hermanus FynArts Festival
Celebrate winter and the arts at the 10th Hermanus FynArts Festival held from 10 to 20 June 2022. Designed as an arts festival and winter school, the programme includes a variety of performances, workshops, creative culinary demonstrations and a series of interviews and presentations by Strauss & Co, as well as group and solo art exhibitions and food and wine tastings. Between the opening concert on Friday, 10 June, under the baton of Richard Cock, and Sunday, 20 June’s closing concert performed by the Cape Town Youth Wind Ensemble and conducted by Faan Malan, festival-goers can look forward to a plethora of genres: jazz, dance, theatre, music ensembles and choir music.
Programme highlights: ‘There is no Ordinary’, an exhibition comprising 38 ceramicists; ‘Sculpture on the Cliffs’ with works of 16 artists; seven previous festival artists at FynArts Gallery; ‘Ebb and Flow’ fibre art; two richly illustrated presentations by Felicity Jervis on the lives and careers of Chanel and Dior; an interview with Barbara Masekela on her memoir, ‘Poli Poli’; a talk by Edwin Cameron entitled ‘Prisons: Promise or Peril?’; and ‘Why a Kaaps Dictionary’ by Adam Haupt.
Good to know: View the full programme online. Book via Webtickets or call 060 957 5371.
Rest, revive, renew
Life Retreat Studio, a haven for health and healing, opened its doors in 2016 at the Helderberg wine estate Lourensford and offers a peaceful place to take part in various forms of yoga, pilates, tai chi and bootcamp and meditation experiences. “We chose to build our studio at exquisite Lourensford as it really is magic. The gardens are spectacular and it is nestled between two enormous mountain ranges. Our clients say that as they drive through the gates, they literally deflate and a sense of calm overwhelms them,” says the studio’s Trish Taylor. “We are always here to nurture and guide our clients with personal attention to their fitness and wellness journeys. We offer indoor and outdoor classes; there is nothing more exhilarating than exercising in the fresh, crisp outdoors. Sunday Fundays are a lovely way for the whole family to exercise together, as individuals of all ages and fitness levels are welcome.” Life Retreat Studio’s yoga menu includes Kundalini, Vinyasa, Yin, ISHTA and Flow.
Good to know: Make sure to also explore the studio’s monthly full-moon meditation sessions, herbal foraging and herbal healing master classes, as well as herbal healing weekend retreats. Send an email to studio@liferetreat.co.za for affordable monthly memberships. Memberships include yoga, pilates, tai chi and bootcamp. Drop-ins are welcome.
Make a run for it
This year’s Mid-Year Trail Run, part of Sportsmans Warehouse Trail Running Series, is set to take place on 26 June 2022 at Muratie Wine Estate. Situated at the foot of the Simonsberg, Muratie is home to one of the Western Cape’s most scenic trail systems, offering a singletrack designed and built by well-known trailmaker Meurant Botha. The event will start and finish at Dirtopia Trail Centre located on the estate. Runners can choose between two route options: the 7km route offers a wide singletrack on the ABC trail to Gilloolys, the viewpoint where a refreshment station will help you back to the finish; and a more strenuous 12km route with extra singletrack loops, a refreshment station at the lookout point (runners will pass here twice) and back to the finish via the Ho Chi Minh trail. All finishers will receive a medal and will be entered into a lucky draw for Falke socks, Sportsmans Warehouse vouchers and wine from Muratie. Registration starts from 07:45 at Dirtopia Trail Centre.
Good to know: Visit www.dirtpass.co.za for pre-entries until 23 June 2022. Online entries: R150 to R200 per adult and R60 per child. Note that all late entries on the day will be at an additional fee.
Market for a good cause
Born amid Covid-19 chaos in October 2020, the Dorp Street Sunday Market wanted to serve as a helping hand as Cape Winelands’ businesses buckled under economic pressure owing to the pandemic’s many challenges. “Luckily, thanks to the immense amount of local support, lower Dorp Street – an often overlooked location – is now one of the hotspots in Stellenbosch and growing by the day with more permanent establishments,” says the market’s Leani Breedt. “The market takes you back to a time when people would sell their handcrafted and locally sourced items in the fresh air at the side of the street and not in large commercial shopping centres.” Visitors are invited to enjoy the free-feel atmosphere and live music by vinyl DJ Paulie. While many traders have become firm favourites, more than 50% are new every week. Expect everything from nature-inspired gemstones and fresh farm products to handcrafted jewellery, snacks, sweets, collectors’ items, stylish thrifted clothing and much more.
Good to know: Open Sundays from 10:00 to 15:00 at 50–77 Dorp Street in Stellenbosch. Weather-dependent – postponements are announced on social media. Pets are welcome.
Catch up and relax
This winter, the historic farm of Vergenoegd Löw Wine Estate will spoil visitors with an impressive picnic spread that celebrates the Cape’s culinary heritage and local produce. Estate restaurant Geuwels, owned by chef Bertus Basson, is all about “seasonal and indigenous ingredients prepared with a creative twist”. The picnic menu includes half a hot-smoked free-range chicken, hot and crispy roosterkoek, Bovril and biltong butter, saucisson sec, camembert, smoked olives, preserves, a salad and cheesecake with figs, honey and almonds. Picnic boxes also offer two vegetable dishes. “To end off, we have traditional sweets like date balls and melktertjies. The picnics are packed in beautifully branded boxes. On cold days you can simply take the whole box with you,” says head chef Drikus Brink.
Good to know: Picnic boxes for adults cost R530 for two (R265 p/p) and Geuwels prepares individual kiddie picnic boxes with tamatiebredie jaffle, salami sticks, potato crisps, fresh seasonal fruit, date balls, water and juice at R125. Note that picnic boxes must be booked and paid for at least 24 hours in advance. They can be collected at Geuwels between 11:30 and 14:30 from Wednesdays to Sundays.