From the latest movies to upcoming events in and around town – a what to do list

• Sharing knowledge around times past

Volunteer guides on Melville Koppies welcome visitors and schools to the Koppies. With a rich history going back thousands and thousands of years and a diverse mix of grassland, forest and cliffs, it’s a chance for the guides to share their knowledge with the visitors and glean new insight from visitors into times past. Children from Future Nation school in Lyndhurst visited recently.

One of the teachers told how they made cooking oil by grinding peanuts on the grindstones. And when they wanted a sweet and savoury snack, they’d grind braaied mealies with sugar. Other visitors from countries just north of us often share how so many of the trees and shrubs are the same as those growing in their home countries, as too are the medicinal ones and their uses. Guided tours are proving to be very popular. Come and share your knowledge with us. Book a tour on a Sunday morning (book on 079 532 0083) or be there by 08:30. Or you can guide yourself on the heritage trail or test your fitness on the 5km self-guided trail. Or take a map and just meander along the many different paths that crisscross the Koppies.

Melville Koppies is open between 08:00 and 11:30 every Sunday. Adults R80, children R40; season ticket for a year per adult – R500 (not transferable). Income used for maintenance of the Koppies; R22 000 needs to be raised per month. Security on the Koppies is provided; park in secure parking opposite the entrance at Marks Park on Judith Road, Emmarentia.

Contact wendavid@mweb.co.za or call 079 532 0083 to find out more. Check out www.mk.org.za for more detailed information about the history and what you can see, or visit https://www.facebook.com/melvillekoppies.

• Monster Jam® Races back to SA!

This. Is. Monster Jam®! The most action-packed motor sports experience for families in the world returns to South Africa in 2023 for an adrenaline-charged three-city tour starting in Cape Town at the DHL Stadium on Saturday, April 22 followed by FNB Stadium Johannesburg on Saturday, April 29 and ending at Durban’s Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday, May 6 for one exciting event only at 18:00 in each city.

In addition, Monster Jam® also features breath-taking Freestyle Motocross (FMX) exhibitions. This is unbeatable revved-up fun for the entire family. Monster Jam, produced by American-based Feld Entertainment and brought to you by McDonald’s South Africa together with leading local promoter, Showtime Management, in association with SuperSport, features world-class athletes locked in intense competitions of speed and skill. Exclusive advance tickets are available for purchase starting June 28 until July 4 via the McDonald’s SA app. General public tickets go on sale on Tuesday, July 5 at www.showtime.co.za OR www.ticketmaster.co.za.

Monster Jam drivers are highly trained, world-class male and female athletes who have mastered not only the physical strength and mental stamina needed to compete, but the vital dexterity to control 4,5 ton machines capable of doing backflips, vertical two-wheel skills and racing at speeds up to 110km/h to produce jaw-dropping, live motor-sports action seen around the world. South African fans will witness heated rivalries, high-flying stunts and fierce head-to-head battles for the Event Championship.

Engineered to perfection, Monster Jam trucks push all limits in Freestyle, Skills and Racing competitions. Plus, fans can become part of the action by voting for the winner in the Skills and Freestyle competitions via real-time, in-stadium fan voting on their smartphones. There are significant risks in buying from other sources, and entry to a Monster Jam event is not guaranteed.

For more information on Monster Jam log onto MonsterJam.com, follow Monster Jam on their social media channels: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok #MonsterJamSA. Subscribe to the Monster Jam YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/MonsterJam.

• FREE Fertility Show Africa makes a welcome return

If you are trying to conceive or on a journey to parenthood, you really cannot afford to miss Fertility Show Africa (FSA) 2022 which this year is free for all attendees – both online and at the live, in-person event happening at the Focus Rooms in Modderfontein, Sandton, Johannesburg on July 23 and 24. Fittingly, the show takes place during National Fertility Awareness Week (July 18–24).

Mindful that many of those suffering from infertility prefer some privacy and confidentiality, FSA 2022 will again host an online event that will run alongside the physical show. This will not only provide a platform for those wanting to keep their attendance more private, but it will also allow visitors from other parts of South Africa, the African continent and the rest of the world to participate.

If you are actively seeking answers, solutions and treatments and are in need of expert advice, support and encouragement, FSA 2022 offers attendees the opportunity to consult confidentially with a wide range of clinicians and experts as well as engage, ask questions, find answers and gather information from some of the industry’s best specialists, embryologists, nurses and psychologists as well as leading professionals in fertility who have struggled with their own fertility issues. Show participants will include doctors, practitioners, fertility clinics, legal advisors, support groups, surrogacy, adoption and donor agencies, natural fertility solutions and supplements, complementary and alternative therapies, and nutritional and lifestyle advisors.

FSA 2022 highlights will include the popular Expert Talks programme, the Support Zone and the Q&A sessions as well as an in-person Expo area showcasing the latest fertility and journey-to-parenthood products and solutions. Fertility Show Africa 2022 is FREE to attend. Get your complimentary ticket via Quicket. 

• Friends of Kloofendal (FroK) events this July

Why not spend the winter with Friends of Kloofendal (FroK)? FroK is a non-profit organisation founded in August 2002. The organisation supports Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo by initiating and driving environment and community projects and activities within Kloofendal Nature Reserve. FroK consists of dedicated guides and volunteers who use their wide variety of knowledge and time to promote education, conservation and community-based projects.

July events:

• FroK Open Day on Saturday, July 2 from 08:00 to noon

• Microplastics in our water on Saturday, July 2 from 13:00 to 14:00

• Historical Mine Tour on Sunday, July 3 from 14:00 to 16:00

• Weekday birding on Wednesday, July 6 from 09:00 to 11:00

• Spider and Scorpion Identification Course on Saturday, July 9 from 09:00 to noon

• Morning Creepy Crawly Walk on Sunday, July 10 from 09:00 to 11:00

• Biomimicry Walk on Sunday, July 10 from noon to 14:00

• Weekend Birding on Saturday, July 16 from 09:00 to 11:00

• iNaturalist Bio Bash on Sunday July, 17 from 09:00 to 11:00

• Goudmyn Toer on Sunday July, 17 from 14:00 to 16:00

• Morning Creepy Crawly Walk on Saturday, July 24 from 09:00 to 11:00

More details and a link to online bookings at www.KloofendalFriends.org.za/events or phone/ WhatsApp 079 693 5608 for more information. All events start from the Kloofendal Ecological Centre at Kloofendal Nature Reserve.

• The SPAR Women’s Virtual Challenge

Difficulty calls us to rise, and in that rising, we learn what we are capable of. The theme of the SPAR Women’s Virtual Challenge 2022 is built on the concept of rising despite difficulty, like a phoenix from the ashes, which the Virtual Challenge itself has done amidst a global pandemic.

In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity, and there is a plethora of opportunity for creativity amidst the current challenges that we face. This year we anticipate rising again as the SPAR Women’s Virtual Challenge 2022, in celebration of a South African stalwart, accompanied by a powerful digital strategy and virtual challenge, to become the most inclusive challenge South Africa has seen.

Over the years, the challenge has brought women from all walks of life together to make a difference in our communities and once again, this year will be no different, as we rise to the challenge as a nation, leaving no woman (or man) behind. While the challenge is still fully focused on women, they encourage women to bring their families, friends and animals, and welcome everyone, irrespective of gender, for this inclusive challenge.

Join on Saturday, September 3, 2022 anytime between 06:00 and 18:00. You can run, jog, or walk your own virtual challenge, at your own pace, from any location you choose. To enter visit https://sparvirtualchallenge.co.za/.

• Under the Baobab Tree Show in Parktown
How does an entertaining (and educational) show at the National Children’s Theatre sound? We think pretty amazing and we’re booked! Under the Baobab Tree is a production that delivers a charming selection of traditional stories, vibrant songs, pulsating rhythms, African drums and lively dance to educate and entertain all primary school learners (ages four and up).

This National Children’s Theatre production is a sprightly follow-on from NCT’s ground-breaking and Naledi award-winning production of Khokho’s Treasure. The show explodes onto the stage from June 19 to July 24. For further information contact Cindy on 011 484 1584, or visit Facebook: @NCTheatreSA or Instagram: @nctheatresa.

• Women’s Day celebration at Pretoria Zoo
Be strong, be confident and be you! Celebrate womanhood with food, music, fun and drinks to reflect on and empower women everywhere during a Women’s Day celebration at Pretoria Zoo on August 7. The theme is an all-white affair with a touch of yellow #DoeknShadesAllWhiteAffair. Visit their Facebook page for more information.

• Wear pink for trademark Women’s Day sporting event
The Totalsports Women’s Race will take place across three cities including Johannesburg on National Women’s Day. Each entrant will receive an official event T-shirt that was produced locally. The Totalsports Women’s Race proudly supports PinkDrive, a non-profit company (NPC) that is committed to improving breast cancer awareness, education, and providing and offering free services to the medically uninsured across South Africa. Online entries opened on Tuesday May 17 and will close on Tuesday July 26.

• West Rand Carnival
Get into the carnival spirit and experience among other live entertainment, music, a food court and market at the 2022 West Rand Carnival to be held over four days from September 8 to 11 in Ruimsig, Roodepoort.

• Discovery Community Forum annual general meeting (AGM)
Discovery residents are kindly invited to attend the Discovery Community Forum’s (DCF) annual general meeting. The meeting will be held on Wednesday, July 6 at 18:50 for 19:00 at Rainbow Radio Station, situated on Sauer Street in Florida. For more information, contact the DCF secretary, Sue Blair on 072 441 2230.

Weekly

• The Witpoortjie community market is back!
The Witpoortjie Community Flea/ Farmer’s Market takes place at The Flower Foundation, 36 Reyger Street, Witpoortjie every Saturday from 08:00 to 13:00. A variety of stalls, including food, fresh produce, toys, clothing, jewellery, home and outdoor and more, will help you to help empower small businesses. For more information, contact Roxanne on 084 207 6549.

• Getting the elderly fit every Wednesday
Is your grandpa or grandma living in the Klein Helderkruin retirement village? Super Boxing Fitness is introducing Super Senior fitness classes (60+) exclusive to Klein Helderkruin retirement village residents every Wednesday at 10:00. There is one 30-minute class per week which focuses on mobility, flexibility and balance in a safe and supportive environment. Please come join them in keeping their elderly healthy and active. Contact Raz on 084 990 8357 for more information.

• Get fit with Zee’s Aerobics classes
Join Zee every Saturday morning from 07:30 to 08:30 at the Vredenhoek Street Park, Mondays from 17:00 to 18:00 at the Lichtenstein Street Park, Wednesdays from 17:00 to 18:00 in the open field next to the Witpoortjie Bowling Club, corner of Koeberg Street and Teenstra Avenue or Thursdays from 17:00 to 18:00 at the Kasteel Street and Java Street Park for a fun aerobics class. The classes are free and all you need is yourself, a water bottle, a towel and your mask.

Movies not to miss!

• ELVIS – From June 24
The film explores the life and music of Elvis Presley (Butler), seen through the prism of his complicated relationship with his enigmatic manager, Colonel Tom Parker (Hanks). The story delves into the complex dynamic between Presley and Parker spanning over 20 years, from Presley’s rise to fame to his unprecedented stardom, against the backdrop of the evolving cultural landscape and loss of innocence in America. Central to that journey is one of the most significant and influential people in Elvis’s life, Priscilla Presley (Olivia DeJonge).

• MEN – From July 1
In the aftermath of a personal tragedy, Harper retreats alone to the beautiful English countryside, hoping to find a place to heal. However, someone or something from the surrounding woods appears to be stalking her. What begins as simmering dread soon becomes a fully formed nightmare, inhabited by her darkest memories and fears.

• DC LEAGUE OF SUPER PETS – From July 29
In “DC League of Super-Pets,” Krypto the Super-Dog and Superman are inseparable best friends, sharing the same superpowers and fighting crime in Metropolis side by side. When Superman and the rest of the Justice League are kidnapped, Krypto must convince a rag-tag shelter pack – Ace the hound, PB the potbellied pig, Merton the turtle and Chip the squirrel – to master their own new-found powers and help him rescue the superheroes.

• EASTER SUNDAY – From August 19
Stand-up comedy sensation Jo Koy (Jo Koy: In His Elements, Jo Koy: Comin’ in Hot) stars as a man returning home for an Easter celebration with his riotous, bickering, eating, drinking, laughing, a loving family, in this love letter to his Filipino-American community. Easter Sunday features an all-star comedic cast that includes Jimmy O. Yang (Silicon Valley series), Tia Carrere (True Lies, Wayne’s World films), Brandon Wardell (Curb Your Enthusiasm series), Tony nominee Eva Noblezada (Broadway’s Hadestown), Lydia Gaston (Broadway’s The King and I), Asif Ali (WandaVision), Rodney To (Parks and Recreation series), Eugene Cordero (The Good Place series), Jay Chandrasekhar (I Love You, Man), Tiffany Haddish (Girls Trip) and Lou Diamond Phillips (Courage Under Fire).

• Source: Empire Entertainment