Knysna Oyster Festival 2015: All You Need to Know About this South African Event

South Africa‘s well known outdoor event, Knysna Oyster Festival is ten days of sheer indulgence. Here you get to sample loads of delicious culinary preparations, especially the oysters. For the adrenalin junkies there are various adventure sports. Overall, the festival features an incredibly wide array of various events and programmes that are perfect for people of all ages. While almost everyone can have a gala time here, the festival is a must-visit for oyster fans. They don’t call it ‘The Best 10 Days of Your Winter’ for no reason. Here is a quick look at the plans for 2015.

Dates

3^rd-12^th July, 2015

2015 Festival Highlights

Packed with over hundred varied events, the oyster festival offers a mind-boggling range of programmes. To start with, there is an Oyster Eating Competition, where one may well gobble, slurp, or swallow – nobody will complain. This is followed by the Oyster Shucking Contest. Even if your shucking skills are at the bottom of the graph, make sure you participate. It is a lot of fun. And if you have mastered the recipes of those delectable molluscs, find your way to the Oyster Recipe Challenges. Next, you have the Oyster and Wine Mardi Gras and a Whisky and Wine Tasting Festival. Visitors get the chance to taste over 200,000 varieties of oysters and a large number of local and international wines and whiskies at these events.

The festival also takes great care of children. Special events for the young ones include puppet shows, cooking courses, creative workshops, and plays.

The Big 5 Sports Challenge

Knysna Oyster Festival is not just about oysters and food. It hosts five top-notch sporting events:

• Momentum Weekend Argus Rotary Knysna Cycle Tour
• Knysna Dragons Lagoon Mile Swim
• Salomon Featherbed Trail Run
• Totalsports XTERRA
• Momentum Cape Times Knysna Forest Half Marathon

Big 5 Sport Challenge is renowned as the most popular multi-sport event in the Africa. Forest Half Marathon and Rotary Cycle Tour are among the most sought after events and draw enthusiasts from all around the world. All of these sports events offer visitors an amazing opportunity to explore the spectacular natural beauty of South Africa. Adventurers who believe in testing their physical endurance should certainly add the ‘Big 5’ to their bucket list. This year, in 2015, it will be the sixth anniversary of the Big 5 Sport Challenge.

Useful Tips

• Knysna Oyster Festival is a 10-day event. During your stay, you will get plenty of spare time; make the most of it by going on day trips to surrounding areas.
• Regardless of whether you stay at a budget lodge or a luxury hotel, book your accommodation in advance to avoid any inconvenience. Knysna gets crowded in July.
• The festival’s main sporting events – Weekend Argus Rotary Cycle Tour and the Cape Times Knysna Marathon – are booked months in advance. If you are planning to participate in either of them, it is best to book as soon as possible.