It was ‘Black Saturday’ in Deneysville at the Vaal Dam on the weekend of September 11, when hundreds of visitors were treated to some of the best facilities that the village has on offer at the first of many Deneysville Village Fayres.
But ‘black’ was not the mood around town as tourism operators pulled out all the stops to beat back the economic blues that have dogged the region during the Covid 19 battle.
Deneysville is fighting back! “Kill them with kindness”, was the attitude adopted as restaurants, coffee-shops, BnB’s and beach bars competed against one another in a bid to woo hundreds of visitors from near and far.
A ‘Passport’ system was developed by coordinator, Lynn Logie, to draw visitors through the village from the Dam Wall (open for tours), down to the waterfront where operators offered boat and barge trips; Manten Marina hosted two Regattas (signature events of the Vaal Dam, dubbed “Central SA’s land-locked sea”), and the Sisters Beach Bar and Guesthouse, Vaal Delta, as well as the DAC provided prime views of the action at the waterfront.
But the starting point was the ‘Village Square’, a hub populated by dozens of vendors and surrounded by pubs, coffee shops and boutiques.
A rainbow of colours marked the stalls showcasing an array of wares: home industry products (home-made, home-grown and home-baked goodies); trinkets and treasures and “munchies”, confectionaries and pet treats!
After taking the Dam Wall Tour, participants paced their way through the village visiting 14 participating establishments including (among others) The Trading Post; Danica’s Boutique; wine tasting at Barrels and Roses and craft beer tours at the unique My Grandfather’s Cat. And the public library was open with its Khoi and San exhibition and its showcase of relics from the Valley of the Vaal prior to its flooding in 1938.
The grand draw of a R3 000 gift voucher took place at 15:30pm. Total prizes collectively clinched amounted to over R10 000!
Thereafter, visitors were exposed to an afternoon of action: good food and drink, some to the tune of legendary Caroline du Preez, Nagelique, Megan Harrison and Rian Kukard.
Council also pitched in, quite literally, with Mr Matubatuba, Mr Malindi and coordinator by Seun Sehume from Tourism & Heritage sprucing up the Koppie. Here too locals got to meet at his ‘hunting ground’ Chief Stuarts, Chief Paramount of the Khoi and San for the Free State.
Back to black, the fayre ended with an evening of stargazing. With perfect weather and ideal conditions, the highlight was spotting Saturn with it’s rings and Jupiter with it’s four moons, under the keen eye of Chis Currie.
(Keep an eye out for more information about the next Fayre in Deneysville on Vaal Dam – Where everyone is always welcome!)
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