Ballito Strawberry Festival
The first ever Ballito Strawberry is a lifestyle event aimed at the whole family, where people can come to pick strawberries at Cappeny Estates farm just outside Ballito, and take part in a host of activities such as beer brewing, strawberry eating competitions, food art with strawberries and watch the Rugby World Cup on the big screen at the farm.
For the past three years, Xolani and Yoliswa Gumede have been farming strawberries, at Cappeny Estates, the only strawberry farm of its kind in Ballito, north of Durban. The 17 hectare property is devoted to growing strawberries, and produces 1 to 2 thousand punnets a day. This volume allows Cappeny Estates to supply the retailers, hospitality industry and local farmers markets. To celebrate their 'coming of age', they are hosting their first annual flagship event, the Ballito Strawberry Festival.
The Ballito Strawberry Festival aims to celebrate Heritage day weekend with a bang.
Strawberries will undoubtedly be the main star at the Ballito Strawberry Festival and will culminate with a strawberry inspired crazy-hat competition (where the most inspired hat will win a prize), a strawberry eating contest, where the winner will carry this year's title and a prize, novel ideas such as painting with strawberries, and a food art concept by the acclaimed chef and food writer Mpume Mqwebu of Africa meets Europe Cuisine. Mpume's works will be on show at the Ballito Strawberry Festival. The food, however, will not only be to play and paint with, the Ballito Strawberry Festival will also have stalls of locally produced food for the guests to enjoy. Clover the "official cream" of the Ballito Strawberry Festival where Chef Coco Fathi Reinharz, judge and Chef on Clover Little Big Cook-off on SABC 3 will be creating signature dishes using strawberries. This day of festivities will begin at 08.00 and will be a celebration of the quality of the berries on offer at Cappeny Estates, and will officially kick-start pick-your-own (strawberries) picking at the farm.
Tickets are R80 for entrance and an additional R50 for berry- picking should you wish to do so. These are available at Computicket. Picnic blankets are most welcome, there will be ample parking available, a full menu of family and lifestyle activities and of course, the best berries on the North Coast to pick and enjoy.
For more information on the Ballito Strawberry Festival, please contact Yoliswa Gumede at Cappeny Estates (032) 815 1168, email moc.setatseyneppac@lavitsef.
Time: 08:00 - 20:00
Venue: Cappeny Estates, Compensation, Ballito
Cost: R80 entry, 50 to pick berries
More info:
Cappeny Estates Farm is on the old main road to Compensation, just outside Ballito