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Garden Route Festivals

We have a surprising number of diverse and fun Garden Route Festivals on the go through-out the year so visitors in both winter and summer months have opportunity to attend at least one if not more festival depending on the length of their stay in the area.

All these festivals give people an occasion to explore their particular genre of  entertainment and a reason to enjoy a day out doing something different.

  • The Slow Festival - Easter weekend - Sedgefield  Lots of fun for the whole family(unfortunately on hold for 2018)
  • Knysna Arts Festival - February - Knysna. This includes visual arts, performing arts, an art route through the town to some wonderful galleries, art demos and on the fringes, a good number of  interesting talks.
  • Knysna Celtic Festival - February - Knysna. A musical extravaganza featuring top bagpipe bands, Celtic singers, musicians, and Highland & Irish dancers from all over South Africa as well as Highland Games, Archery and Tug-of-War tournaments.
  • Knysna Literary Festival - March - Knysna.  An amazing array of events allow locals a chance to meet and listen to  discussions with authors and the books they have written and to get their book purchases personally signed!
  • The Pink Lourie Mardi Gras & Arts Festival - May - Knysna. A  spectacle of pageantry, theatre, creativity, music, design, multi-media, and other forms of artistic expression for the LGBTQ community and everyone to enjoy.
  • Knysna Oyster Festival - July - Knysna.  A premium sport and lifestyle festival offering a programme of unique events for sport lovers, families and adventurers, with more than 100 activities spread over ten days. 
  • Plett Food and Film - July - Plettenberg Bay. Top-notch food and entertainment. The festival focuses on showcasing  wonderful cuisine and the excellent quality of film productions coming out of South Africa and some old favourites that people never get tired of seeing again. 
  • Eden Kite Festival - October - Sedgefield.  A day of family fun flying kites, some truly spectacular ones and a chance to enter some kite flying competitions and battles, geared for all ages. Also enjoyable for spectators!
  • Knysna Timber Festival - October.  Celebrating our indigenous forests and Knysna's Timber Heritage at Timber Village with some fine exhibitions and excellent talks.
  • Leisure Isle Festival - October - Knysna.  An outdoor Spring Flea Market for the whole family to enjoy. It's a great source for unique and original Christmas and birthday presents.
Knysna Lagoon Splash Festival

Knysna Splash Festival  - December - hosted by Knysna Rotary Club is held annually. For 2018 it will take place on Saturday 29th just before new year. There is the Lagoon Mile for adults and a Junior Swim for 10 year old's and younger.

Then there's a fun event called the Quack Attack Duck Race. All the details for the day can be found on the linked Facebook page.

Support Garden Route Festivals

Festival organisers are to be commended for the great deal of hard work they put into creating these events which in all instances raises funds for local charities thereby benefiting their communities which is surely good reason to support them.

These Garden Route Festivals are within reach of all the towns  along the Garden Route and, dare I say, most convenient for Sedgefield residents or visitors who are probably half-way between them all. So, no matter where they are, a great outing is no more than an hour or two away at the most.

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