Oh, weekend how you are loved by city dwellers that spend their week with noses to the grindstone.
And to escape all the work from the past week, here is a list of happenings around town this weekend.
1. Holi Festival of Colour
Urbanites will be celebrating the 2014 Holi Festival Of Colours Johannesburg at the Bidvest Wanderers Cricket Stadium on 23 August. It promises a mosh-posh of colour, music and fun.
Details: https://www.holifestival.com/sa
2. Jozi’s green lung
For the fitness freaks, why not take a run around the Johannesburg Botanical Gardens in Emmerentia?
The circular route around the gardens is estimated at 8km. There is also a section to walk the dog, if your pooch needs a little TLC this weekend
The garden is situated on Olifants Road, and is open from 6am every day
3. The Westgate Wild Ride Funfair
Just west of the city, the family funfair is back again and this time bigger and better than ever.
The travelling funfair originally from Port Elizabeth set up shop at the shopping mall, and will be there until 23 August.
For only R5 per person, the whole family can visit Westgate shopping centre for a day filled with laughter and adrenaline.
Tickets for the rides are priced at R10 each. The funfair offers a wide variety of suitable rides and amusements such as break dancers, bungy bounce, simulator, big wheel, rodeo, jumping star, swings, cups and many more.
Details: 011 768 8131
4. Visit Fourways Farmers Market
The Fourways Farmers Market is a true escape from supermarket shopping. The beautiful outdoor market in Johannesburg, offers carefully selected traders who offer the best of the best produce.
The Fourways Farmers Market boasts about 50 vendor stalls, selling carefully selected produce and products.
Details: 011 465 5276
5. Search the stars at the Studio Theatre in Montecasino
For star gazers, this story of love and honey is set in a quantum ‘multiverse’ that blends the everyday and the ethereal, the actual and the imaginable, revealing that every outcome may only be the first link in a chain of cosmic consequences.
In the director’s chair for the South African staging is Alan Swerdlow who, with his own row of awards on the mantlepiece is ready to dissect the award-winning play by Nick Payne. Constellations premiered at the Royal Court Theatre in London in 2012, and went on to win the Best Play category at the Evening Standard Theatre Awards. This was followed by a highly successful West End transfer to the Duke of York’s Theatre.
In the meantime, South African theatre stars Ashley Dowds and Janna Ramos-Violante will sparkle on South African stages.
The Johannesburg run at Montecasino is from 8 August to 28 September, followed by a season at The Theatre on the Bay in Cape Town.
Details: 011 511 1988.
6. Cirque Éloize iD SA
Cirque Éloize combines contemporary circus arts with urban dance.
Based on its artists’ multidisciplinary talents, the innovative nature of Cirque Éloize is expressed through theatricality and humanity.
This dance-fuelled adrenalin rush will feature 14 performers from 12 disciplines.
Cirque Éloize’s iD will run from 19 August until 14 September at the Teatro, Montecasino, Montecasino Boulevard, Fourways.
Details: Computicket 0861 915 8000; www.computicket.com; www.cirque-eloize.com
7. Braamfontein food markets
Enjoy all manner of artisanal goods, homemade treats, and a great atmosphere at Joburg’s markets. Saturday markets include the Neighbourgoods Market in Juta Street, Braamfontein; the Jozi Real Food Market at Pirates Sports Club, Braeside Road, Greenside; and the Kyalami Country Market at Sawasdee Exotic Nursery, corner of Zinnia and Main roads, Kyalami.
On Sunday, you can take in the sights and sounds of Maboneng Precinct at Market On Main. Details: www.neighbourgoodsmarket.co.za;www.facebook.com/JoziRealFoodMarket; www.marketonmain.co.za
8. ParkRun’s for everyone
ParkRun is an increasingly popular way to get some exercise and enjoy Joburg’s beautiful parks on a weekly basis. The free, 5km, timed runs are open to all, and are safe and easy to take part in.
ParkRuns take place at Delta Park, and in Bryanston and Lonehill.
Details: www.parkrun.co.za
9. A snappy adventure
Africa’s first Nile Crocodile zip line opened this year at Croc City crocodile and reptile park.
This brand new adrenaline inducing attraction near Fourways is certainly one that will test bravado.
Called the FlyOver, the zip line runs over three crocodile enclosures.
The FlyOver gives adventurers the heart-stopping opportunity to glide over three different size crocodile enclosures ranging in sizes from 1m to 5m.
The zip line tour consists of two cable sections or slides with three platforms, the starting, the middle and the ending platform.
Visitors can also get up close with various snakes, spiders and of course crocodiles.
Croc City also features a licensed bar.
10 Visit the Zoo
Visit Joburg Zoo and find out more about the colourful, captivating animals of the Amazon Basin at the Animals of the Amazon exhibit. You’ll be able to see creatures including a yellow anaconda, Amazon tree boa constrictors, Honduran milk snakes, curly-hair tarantulas, Costa Rican tiger rump spiders, green iguanas, seba short-tailed bats, freshwater fish, and primates from Central and South America.
Details: www.jhbzoo.org.za
