KNYSNA NEWS - It's festival time in Knysna!

The Pick n Pay Knysna Oyster Festival is taking place until Sunday 8 July.

Highlights this week
The Knysna Wine Festival presented by Pick n Pay may be an institution, but this year’s location on Thesen Island will be a first. On Monday 2 and Tuesday 3 July wine connoisseurs and socialites alike will be given the opportunity to taste over 200 wines and craft liquors from more than 50 producers spanned across the Garden Route and Cape Winelands.

There will also be free, exclusive food and wine pairings on offer in the Pick n Pay Wine Club tasting room, with various sessions running over the two day wine festival.

The Comedy Chuckle has always been an entertainment highlight on the Festival calendar and this year will be no different, comedic heavy weights Yasseen Barnes, Carl Weber, Kagiso Mokgadi and Dalin Oliver will be keeping you in stitches on Thursday 5 July at the historic Mitchell’s Brew Pub, the perfect setting for an evening of side-splitting laughter.

Woodmill Lane Shopping Centre will be playing host to various kiddies’ art classes as well as the ever popular Kids Pavement Art competition. In an exciting addition the ever popular Fish Braai and Oyster Eating and Shucking competitions will also be taking place at the Centre on Thursday 5 and Friday 6 July respectively, hosted by Pick n Pay these competitions promises to be better than ever!

Families and friends will also be able to shop to their hearts content at the Loerie Park Community Market from Tuesday 3 and Wednesday 4 July. There will be plenty to do for all ages from food and craft stands, to live entertainment and kiddie’s activities.

The Loerie Park venue will also be hosting a multitude of athletics events such as the ASWD & KMC Athletics on Monday 2 and Tuesday 3 July as well as the Knysna Oyster Festival Soccer Tournament Finals on Sunday 8 July, so bring the family, pack your pom poms and cheer for your favorite athlete.

The Momentum BIG5 Challenge, Friday 29 June – Saturday 7 July will see top athletes compete for gold across five of the Festival’s major sporting events spread across Knysna and surrounds. Athletes will get to experience Knysna in all its beauty by way of trail, bike, paddle and swim. The Momentum BIG5 Challenge is the ultimate sporting event for the adventurous.

New events
The Festival will also boast a host of new locally organised events, the week kicked with vibrant township fun at the iSkeem Sepotsoyi Colour Splash Bash on Saturday 30 June and Sunday 1 July saw the inaugural iKasi 5km Colour Fun Run which took runners through the vibrant Knysna Township. Rounding off the week will be the Green Carpet Picnic Event on Saturday 7 July and the Green Carpet Fashion Extravaganza where a host of local designers and models will be strutting their stuff on the green carpet among a host of other entertainment on Sunday 8 July.

Heinz Hot Sauce Oyster Hotspots
The Heinz Hot Sauce Oyster Hotspots (formally oyster hotspots) also made its return at this year’s festival where 20 participating restaurants in Knysna and surrounds are offering specials on signature menu dishes during the 10 days of the Festival. To view the participating restaurants and their menu click here.

The Festival is not limited to the above there is plenty of adventure and entertainment for all, among the many events festival-goers can also look forward to enjoy a day out at the Wheelie Day in Sedgefield on Wednesday 4 July.

If all things wheels is not your thing why not explore the majestic forests that Knysna has on offer, by foot at the FNB Family Forest Hike on Monday 2, Wednesday 3 and Friday 6 July.

For the more relaxed sporting enthusiast you can enjoy a leisurely game of bowls during the Knysna Oyster Festival Bowls Tournament on Monday 2 – Thursday 5 July or catch a game of chess at the Open Rapid Chess Tournament on Saturday 7 July.

For more information on these and the other exciting events happening during the Pick n Pay Knysna Oyster Festival 2018 view the full event schedule.

Or follow on social media at Facebook.com/KnysnaOysterFestival | Instagram.com/knysnaoysterfestival or Twitter.com/oysterfestival.

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