Voortrekker Monument Pretoria’s place to party

Park Acoustics, a monthly event held at Pretoria’s Voortrekker Monument just celebrated its fourth year running and allowed Pretoria festival goers a last opportunity to enjoy music in the sun as winter closes in.

I say festival goers because Park Acoustics really has turned into a one day festival. The most recent event had some of South Africa’s top acts such as Jeremy Loops and Tumi, as well as hosting American band St. Lucia. The event also creeps into the evening and offers a good after-party of electronic acts, such as Sibot and Niskerone.

With top class acts performing people flock to the aesthetic venue in the thousands. You are allowed to bring in your own cooler box, so a few hours into the day and people are enjoying themselves like there is no tomorrow. I discovered however that this decision can lead to a hazy Monday morning, as the event is held every last Sunday of the month. There is amazing food available on the day for the hungry, such as pulled pork rolls and for the thirsty a Jack Daniels sponsorship leaves no one with a parched mouth.

 The organisers of the event also have a thing for craft beer and own the Capital Craft Beer Academy. This weekend marks the second Capital Craft Beer Festival held at the same venue. The event promises to boast a total of 19 different breweries and a massive choice of over 91 different beers. Some of these choices include an Oatmeal Stout from the Chameleon Brewhouse, a Brambleberry Weissbeer from the Cockpit Brewery called “Purple Haze” and the Jolly Monk Smoked Beer from Draymans Brewery.

The event was sold out last year and this year looks no different. The event is a key indicator for the change in taste preferences of South African beer consumers. Craft beer has been growing steadily in South Africa and the festival clearly shows that the variation of beers’ tastes, colours and bitterness has been noted by a local consumer market. With so much variation, women who were usually relegated to cider have been given a chance to explore their palates. Mitchell’s brewery offers a Honey and Milk Ale.

The event boasts three stages with music and comedy entertaining the day’s guests. The Nomadic Orchestra will be performing as well as the comedian show Deep Fried Man.

The Voortrekker Monument was opened to the public in 1949 and is dedicated to the memory of the Dutch-speaking faction that travelled into the interior of the country to try and establish a homeland independent of British Rule. The Great Trek began in 1835 and ended in 1846.