One of the country’s most prominent garden-themed lifestyle festivals returns to Stellenbosch, promising fresh moments for South Africa’s favourite village of oaks. Stellenbosch once again pulls out the stops for gardeners and lovers of the great outdoors in a 10-day long festival that will transform its streets and surrounding countryside from 27 October to 5 November.
Garden Town Stellenbosch will encompass everything from horticultural tours to flower art; dining to hiking; and, guest garden specialists, all in a majestic setting. Flower arranging, wine tasting, painting, guided nature walks, wreath crafting, drawing and much more – it’s all on the programme this year.
Garden Town Stellenbosch is an initiative of Visit Stellenbosch, which comprises the region’s tourism stakeholders and partners, including the Stellenbosch Municipality and Stellenbosch Wine Routes. The objective is to grow the tourism and experience economy in Stellenbosch for the benefit of all communities. It draws in many well-known properties and personalities including the Dylan Lewis Sculpture Garden, Rupert Museum, Lanzerac and Babylonstoren, while also touching the lives of people in the communities of Khayamandi, Ida’s Valley, Klapmuts and the Dwarsrivier.
Flowerise yourself
One of the highlights of the programme will be a grand flower parade, and everyone is invited! This is your invitation to dress up to the theme and join the festive parade marching along the historical streets of Stellenbosch on Tuesday 31 October.
The parade will stop at the Stellenbosch Town Hall where the winners of the Mayoral Gardening Competition will be announced and celebrated, before heading back to the Braak where the party will continue.
Gardens on show
Private home gardens will open to visitors on Fridays 27 October and 3 November and Saturdays 28 October and 4 November. This is an exclusive opportunity when private home gardens are opened and plant lovers can stroll through some beautiful gardens. Visitors are advised to check the programme to see which gardens are open and when. Purchase a weekend ticket for R200 that gives access to all the gardens.
For more information about all the upcoming garden festival events and bookings, go to VisitStellenbosch.org or call 021 886 4310. The Garden Town website – www.gardentown.visitstellenbosch.org – goes live on Spring Day, September 1, providing dates, times, locations and relevant costs.
