Port Alfred set to come alive with Easter Festival

From surfing to markets, music, bowls, croquet, and much more, the annual Port Alfred Easter Festival promises to bring the coastal town to life.

The Rip Curl Cup is the anchor event for the multisport, cultural and music festival that takes place annually over the Easter weekend.

The surfing event, hosted at East Beach, commences as soon as the Rip Curl GromSearch — for the younger contestants — concludes, and will start on Sunday afternoon or Monday morning. It is an open event, with limited entries, and R76,000 in cash prizes up for grabs.

Through the hard work and creativity of the Royal St Andrews Hotel owner and MD , Justin Bekker, who is one of the driving forces behind the festival, a strong synergistic relationship has developed between the Easter Festival’s three main components.

This includes the surfing and bodyboarding events, Bands Innie Bush, and the Port Alfred Station 11 National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) crew, who will make sure everyone is safe in the water.

Bekker came up with the idea of getting the NSRI involved over the six days, with the festival hosting a fundraiser for the nonprofit in return.

The Bands Innie Bush music evenings, over two nights, will serve as the NSRI fundraiser, with tickets costing R350. Performers to look forward to include Robbie Wessels, Jack Parow, Majozi, December Streets, Rubber Duc, and plenty of other exciting artists.

VIP tickets, at R1,500, include an event T-shirt, VIP tent access, a shuttle, a meal and drink voucher, and access to the Guido’s After Party. 

Bands Innie Bush will take place in Rosehill Road. The festival will also feature plenty of markets to browse through.

An essential feature of the festival is the street market vibe in town, derived from the Good Time Fair and the Four Elements Festival, providing fun for the whole family.

There will be live music, craft stalls, wife-carrying contests, food and drinks for sale, fun activities, low-flying aeroplanes, face painting, mesmerising fire displays and more.

The Good Time Fair in Van Der Riet Street will include food from Graze By The River, Die Stoompot, Rise Cafe, the Market Traders Store and My Pond Hotel. Activities include sand art, a treasure hunt, jumping castle, face painting and a miniature art gallery, with craft stalls along the street.

The Four Elements Festival in Wharf Street features the famous wife-carrying race, where participants compete for fame and glory — and the chance to win your wife’s weight in beer. There is also live music, food stalls, a vibrant craft market, fire displays, low-flying planes and more. 

All the fun at the Good Time Fair kicks off at 10am on Friday, followed by the Four Elements Festival at 10am on Saturday. Entry is free.

The Edge Finance Easter Festival Bowls Tournament and the Easter Festival Croquet Level Doubles event at the Port Alfred Bowls and Croquet Club also form part of the festival, with cash prizes up for grabs.

The bowls tournament gets rolling on Saturday and Sunday, while the croquet event is on Sunday.

The Herald