Explore Ashburton’s outdoor beauty
There are many fun, family-friendly activities available to take part in at this fantastic outdoor festival.
SPEND a day in the beautiful outdoors at the fabulous Asburton Aloe Spring Festival on Saturday, September 4 and Sunday, September 5 in the Lower Mpushini Valley Conservancy (LMVC) in Ashburton East.
The fundraiser festival will feature a series of specialist environmental talks and workshops and activities. The weekend-long event will also include a dog agility display, an equine ‘hot shoeing’ display as well as self-guided and guided trails in the valley.
There will be more than 60 market stalls, food vendors and plant sales at the festival on Sunday, September 4, including live music and a children’s play area that will have pony and cart rides available. A variety of food and drinks, including al la carte meals and bar at The Zebra & Porcupine, market food vendors, conservancy tea garden, breakfast bar and hot meals at The Waterhole and Impala Bend, will be available.
Guests can also purchase a wide range of aloes and succulents at a 20% discount at the Rocky Wonder Aloe Nursery and visit the display aloe garden.
The LMVC treasurer, Mary Anne Fanner, said, “Each year we raise funds via our aloe festival to, among other conservation and anti-poaching activities, pay our game ranger, Lucky ‘Hardlife’ Makuyana’s salary. For two successive years we have been thwarted by Covid.
“The effect of Covid-19 on our wildlife has been devastating, as evidenced by recent deliberate burning of veld and the increase in poaching. Hardlife is key to the conservancy’s management of wildlife and reporting on poaching and snare removal. Illegal hunting and poaching are decimating the wildlife. Without our hero game ranger, Hardlife, we would not be able to maintain our protected area and conservancy,” she said.
The venues are open from 09:00 to 16:00, the self-guided bird trail opens at 06:00 and the guided bird trail starts at 08:00. There will be afternoon sundowners, a campfire, a night walk and al la carte meals will be on offer after 16:00 on Saturday, September 4. Experience live music with artist Chris Jensen at the market at The Zebra and Porcupine on Sunday, September 5 or relax at Galago to the sounds of Helen Vermaak on Piano on the Sunday at 15:00.
Tickets cost R50 per adult, R30 for pensioners and R20 for children. Children under 6 enter for free. One ticket allows entry to all venues for the day. There is no entry fee for the Ashburton Aloe Festival Spring Market.
All Covid-19 protocols will be observed. No dogs are allowed. Contact Pandora on 072 692 8124 or Heather on 083 665 8010.
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