Pick 'n Pay Knysna Oyster Festival

Annual events, especially the Oyster Festival, which is now in its 24th year, allow for diversity and change from one year to the next, improving on existing events and adding new and more exciting ones to the programme.  The 2007 Oyster Festival will be no exception, with the inclusion of the Oyster Rock Spots, following on from the extremely successful Oyster Hot Spots.  Oyster Rock Spots will include a definitive assortment of fantastic music events and as festival co-ordinator, Nicci Rousseau explains, “live music forms a vital part of a person’s enjoyment of festivals and it is my aim to ensure that there are at least two live music choices for all music tastes each and every day of the Festival.”  Sounds exciting - y’all best get your dancin’ shoes on! Oyster Hot Spots will be featuring en masse once again during the festival with more than 20 restaurants, the Knysna Tourism office and the Loerie Park festival hub again playing host to these delectable creatures. The Oyster Festival plays an integral role for the local community, ensuring maximum exposure for charitable organizations and more importantly the distribution of funds to these charities.  The big events of the Festival, namely the Pick ‘n Pay Weekend Argus Rotary Knysna Cycle Tour (R430 000 raised in 2006, donated to charities and used for bursaries for tertiary education) and the Pick ‘n Pay Cape Times Forest Marathon (R225 000 raised in 2006, also donated to various charities and used for local athletics development) are definitely the serious crowd pullers, with almost 6000 entrants for each weekends events.  A number of midweek events, which drew pleasing crowds in 2006, will again be appearing on this year’s line up, including the Wade Bales Wine Festival at Pezula, the Knsyna Sports Festival at Loerie Park, the Duesouth XTERRA at Pezula and the Petzl Night Run and Night Bike. A new and very exciting addition to the programme for the little festival festino’s is the Young Oyster Festival including collaboration a youth company from Stellenbosch University.  Events will include puppet shows, a Mask and Movement workshop, teen cabaret and a cooking course.Once again, the SA Navy will make their awe inspiring entrance through the Knysna Heads, giving locals and visitors the opportunity to board one of three minesweepers anchored at Thesen Islands. And of course, don’t miss the annual Navy street parade or the SA Navy Band in Concert at the Waterfront.The “Local Loerie Project” was initiated 2006 and aims at providing a chance for the local disadvantaged community to get involved in the Oyster Festival by removing entry barriers such as high participation costs and by providing training and mentorship to participants in various events.  The Project is aimed at promoting a spirit of togetherness and participation, ensuring that local communities benefit economically, as well as the growth and development of sport talent in our local communities and the growth of Sustainable Tourism small medium micro entrepreneurs such as catering businesses, Home stays, Event Management Businesses; Cleaning Companies, Informal vendors and transport services.  165 members were involved in the first year of the campaign and the following events, amongst others, included Local Loerie participants: Van Loveren Oyster Cooking Competition; Rotary Cycle Race; Forest Marathon; Oyster Shucking Event and the ASWD Development Cross Country meeting. It is initiatives like these that make the Festival such an integral part of Knysna life, ensuring that each and every person can become a part, enjoy and ultimately benefit from the festivities. So, with so many exciting events on offer to tantalize the oldies, boldies, foodies and kiddies, Knysna is definitely the place to be from the 6th to the 15th of July 2007.Contact Details:www.oysterfestival.co.za This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.Distributed by Lisa NelMarketing & PR Consultant Knysna Tourism This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.