September is inching forward which only means one thing – the Namaqualand Flower Festival is literally around the corner. We’re jumping up and down with anticipation, we’re so excited to meet our Namaqualand community, go on epic adventures and have an unbelievable time in the flowers.
A casual reminder (not that you need one) but the Namaqualand Flower Festival is a wholesome weekend filled with dancing, singing, trail exploring and an incredible vibe. Experience a weekend of camping, dancing in the moonlight, singing to your heart’s content and losing yourself under the stars. You’ll laugh ’til it hurts, go on beautiful bush walks, learn traditional dances and explore the depths of culture and nature. There is just so much that you absolutely cannot miss out on.
What we’re about
There is so much to expect at the Namaqualand Flower Festival to try and squeeze it all into one blog – bear with us.
The Vibe
Your vibe definitely attracts your tribe and we make sure the festival has an impeccable vibe. We have vibey tunes from an array of sources, you can dance the days and nights away with our;
- DJs
- Live Bands: We are ridiculously excited to announce that our main act is Grassy Spark! We’re stoked to have a band with such a passion for music be part of the festival’s vibe.
- Secret Sunrise Cape Town who will be celebrating life with us at the festival. Where we have no words, music speaks. We love to watch our festival-goers embrace the opportunity to get lost to the beat of the music.
- Open mic night: This is where stars are made so warm up those vocal cords, get your garage band together and practise the banging tracks you plan on laying down for us.
- Submit your names to experiences@nodanger.org to ensure you’re on the line-up for the evening. Winners of the Open Mic Night will win an incredible Cape Storm and Leonista 100% Karoo Agave hamper worth R2500!
The Tribe
- Community: our festival community consists of diverse people from various backgrounds and age groups. At the festival, you will meet like-minded people and create a memorable lifelong bond. You are bound by your experience, bound by your love and bound by the realisation that there is more to life than just you.
- The flower festival team: we have an incredible team of sponsors, volunteers and enthusiasts who are ready to make this an experience of a lifetime! Our team consists of;
The Action
You won’t believe what we have in store for you this year! Our goal is to make this a unique experience that you’ll carry with you for years to come. From nature walks to late-night dancing, this experience is a wholesome, well-rounded weekend that absolutely anyone will fall in love with.
Here’s just a brief introduction into what you can expect:
Stargazing
Lose yourself among the stars – it’s difficult not to. Not only can you find your own way through the stars but our famous Jacques Tredouw will offer an entertaining journey through the beauty of astrology – are you ready for the ride?
Yoga
By adding yoga to our weekend activities we hope you reap its many benefits and become totally one with nature. This is the best way for you to stretch your limbs and minds following a very jam-packed weekend of magnificent activities.
Trail Run:
- 20km “The Long Route”:
For the weekend warrior! This trail has everything, swimming holes, steep descents, rocky technical trails, river crossings, hot sapping uphill slogs, sandy tracks. You have to fight for every inch but the reward – oh so worth it! The views, nature, flowers and ice-cold beer at the finish.
For the weekend warrior! This trail has everything, swimming holes, steep descents, rocky technical trails, river crossings, hot sapping uphill slogs, sandy tracks. You have to fight for every inch but the reward – oh so worth it! The views, nature, flowers and ice-cold beer at the finish.
There are 2 water points on the route, at 5km and 17km.
Please note – for experienced runners only. There is no walking on this trail. If you would like to walk please enter the 9km. It is just as scenic:)
- 9km “The Shorter Route”:
This trail takes you through some spectacular rock formations. In and out of caves and ancestral paintings. Surrounded by fresh air and amazing fauna and flora, you will not be disappointed! No water points, but we have you covered at the finish:)
- 4km “The Fun Run”:
A fun yet challenging trail. Following a shorter trail along the stream to a little rock pool for a welcome dip, a small climb to feel the burn, then free ride on the jeep track all the way home. All welcome. Please accompany anyone under 6 years old on this trail.
Culture:
We take the opportunity to embrace cultures different to our own and find similarities between us while appreciating our differences. We’re honoured to have Oom Petrus and Oom Isak from the Khoisan tribe volunteer their time to enlighten us on the rich history of Namaqualand and the heritage of the Khoisan. This includes:
- Guided bush walks
- Learning traditional dances
- Seeing authentic Khoisan paintings
- Gaining a true appreciation for a beautiful tribe
Workshops:
We host a variety of workshops that teach you about our beautiful environment, how to live sustainably and how to respect our world, our people and take a step back from our busy lives to admire a different side of ourselves. Our workshops consist of:
- Beekeeping
- Traditional dancing
- Botany
- Breathing
Swimming
You’ll take a dip in our natural rock pools, stand on top of cascading waterfalls and fall in love with nature in the process.
Our Famous Prize Giving
This is one of our favourite parts of the entire weekend and is something you’ll regret missing!
Take time to relax on Sunday morning, don’t rush. Let’s end off the weekend together with our traditional end of the festival prize-giving. You’ll leave feeling elated and complete from the holistic weekend.
We told you, there is A LOT to expect! But seriously, don’t just read about it, get your tickets to the Namaqualand Flower Festival and let’s have an unbelievable time together.
