Rand Show 2013 set to be another knock-out

This Easter long weekend, why not set aside a date from Thursday, 28 March, to Monday, 1 April 2013, for an affordable, great day out for the whole family?

Each year, the Rand Show commits to bringing visitors fun, exciting, and exclusive entertainment, and this year is no different. New and exclusive to the Rand Show 2013 is "Snow World", a magical winter wonderland complete with a 40m real-snow ski ramp, a solid-ice toboggan slide, and snow-covered Alpine village setting.

Another brand-new attraction is a daily science show with the popular Naked Scientist and his team. Promising to be a "spectacular and explosive blow-your-socks-off show", the Naked Scientists will build vacuum-powered bazookas, create a tornado of flame, plunge objects into liquid nitrogen at minus-200 degrees, and build hydrogen-fuelled rockets. They'll also be presenting daily open-mic interactive Q&A sessions, where they'll answer any question which visitors throw at them.

The SANDF is back with an impressive line-up of vehicles, aircraft and military displays and exhibits. The JMPD and SAPS also have arena displays planned for visitors, on Saturday 30 March and Sunday 31 March respectively. There'll be serious-accident simulations, service-animal demonstrations, simulated riot situations, hijackings, house breakings, medical emergencies and arrests, as well as motorcades and parades.

Anyone who loves cars is in for a treat at the Rand Show's Festival of Motoring, which will showcase over 150 muscle cars, racing cars, off-road racing machines, classics, and dragsters.

There's also the extreme motoring stunt extravaganza, "Atomic Junkies". Daredevil drifting superstars, Jim McFarlane and Mikey Skelton, present this motoring spectacular of extreme sports, with drifting, freestyle motocross and rally stunt sequences. They'll also be offering visitors a chance to experience a "suicide ride" on the full drifting track, guaranteeing a ride that's faster and even more hair-raising than usual.

There'll be more extreme stunts in the popular "Man vs Machine", an extreme bike show which pits the pedal power of five-times national trials bike champion, Dylan Victor, against the petrol power of multiple national champion and motorcycle trials legend, Brian Capper.

The International Auto Sound Challenge Association (IASCA) of South Africa is back with its ear-splitting car-sound and performance challenges, giving visitors a real display of souped-up car performance.

Catch four free circus performances each day, and see lionesses, elephants, and acts of daring by stunt rider, Eldavido, in the Globe of Death. There's more animal action when Snake Bite Jones returns with his enthralling snake and reptile shows. There'll also be plenty of feathery flying at the Free-flight Bird Show, where vultures, Harris hawks, owls and even a channel-billed toucan will delight the crowds.

And last but not least, the ever-popular and skilled chefs of the SA Chefs Food Theatre are back, adding a lashing of culinary flavour to the Rand Show 2013 line-up.

The Rand Show has also listened to visitors' requests for more exhibition content. This year the Rand Show presents hundreds of square metres of themed destination-shopping pavilions, such as DO Food, DO Home, DO Health, Beauty & Wellness, and DO DIY, to mention but a few. Come and pick up a bargain with special show-only deals, and be first to see new products like the Gypsy Toy Hauler, launching at the Rand Show.

All this for just R100 for adults, R50 for pensioners over 65, R50 for teens aged 13-16, R20 for kids aged 6 to 12, and FREE for children under six ... that's truly great value for money. So set your GPS for the Johannesburg Expo Centre, Nasrec, and come and enjoy a great day out this Easter.

The Rand Show kicks off on Thursday 28 March, and runs for five days to Monday, 1 April 2013. Gates open each day at 9am and close at 6pm, although the show will remain open until 7pm. Tickets are available at the gates or through Computicket.

The Rand Show 2013

Dates: From Thursday 28 March to Monday 1 April, 2013.

Show hours: Gates open daily at 09h00. Ticketing booths into the showgrounds close at 18h00. The show closes at 19h00.

Venue: Johannesburg Expo Centre, Rand Show Road, Nasrec. (GPS - S26°14.810' E27°68.695')

Tickets: R100 for adults, R50 for pensioners over 65, R50 for teens aged 13-16, R20 for kids aged 6 to 12, and FREE for children under six.

Tickets are available at the gate or through Computicket. (There is no surcharge on Computicket tickets.)

Value: Tickets give visitors free entry to the majority of the Rand Show's top attractions.