The popularity of Stellenbosch’s sixth annual Craft Beer Festival held in Jan Marais Nature Reserve this past Saturday, cemented the event in the town’s social calendar with almost 4 000 tickets sold.
The springtime heat was welcomed by young and old alike, as festival-goers enjoyed a lazy afternoon in the shade, sipping on a refreshing selection of the region’s finest brews.
Technical coordinator, Pierre-Arnold Theron (34), called the day “a big success”.
“If you looked at the attendees on the day, it was very diverse. It was just such a good get together of South Africans under the trees having a real ‘grown-up’ picnic with some beers,” he said.
Dawid Fourie (38), event coordinator, spoke of the need to draw attention to and provide a platform for micro-breweries in Stellenbosch.
360 Video: It is truly spring time in Stellenbosch as friends gather to enjoy the hot weather and cold beers. Scroll to your left or right for the full Beer Fest experience. VIDEO: Ané van Zyl
Katie Beard and George Kirkinis talk about their band, The Steezies. PHOTO: Lara Grobbelaar
“It’s a celebration of the smaller, lesser-known breweries and it gives people a chance to try different styles of beer. We take fifteen breweries and four distilleries, just to make sure everyone makes money.”
Porra van der Merwe (33), logistics and safety officer, echoed this.
“Everyone knows the larger companies like Devil’s Peak and the Cape Brewing Company (CBC) – they do great beers, but sometimes the smaller guys fall by the wayside when they have to compete. We try give them an in,” he said.
Among the playfully named distilleries present on the day were RIOT Beer, Soul Barrel Brewing, La Trappe Trappist, Red Sky Brew, Zebonkey Brewery, Fokof Lager, Kings Craft Beer and Hoptown.
Whilst the event is aimed at attracting the entire family for a fun day out, the music lineup drew the Stellenbosch’s student population nearer as the sun set. This year’s headlining acts included Die Heuwels Fantasties, The Steezies and Uncle Spike.
Just before the sun started setting, the 12-piece band The Steezies, entertained the crowd with their Afro/Funk/Indie sounds.
Listen to this podcast to find out what the band’s lead singers, George Kirkinis and Katie Beard, had to say about how they got to their EP’s name, Snorting lines of Turmeric, why it’s important to cross the bridge between affluent areas in Cape Town and townships, and more before they hit the stage:
“Dis was letterlik die beste festival waarnatoe ek al ooit was, in vergelyking met Kaas en Wyn Fees of die Chocolate Festival, seker vir die eenvoudige rede dat die drinks was great, al my vriende was daar en die bands was amazing. Ons was eerste daar en het later die dag die grootste tafel gehad,” said Henk Oets (24), an attending festival-goer.
Another guest, Lara Grobbelaar (26), had the following to say:
“Dit was ’n flippen cool dag gewees. Heuwels het ’n goeie show opgesit. Hulle het lekker energy gehad – niks minder as fantasties!”
Pierre Greef, lead singer of Die Heuwels Fantasties, entertaining the crowd as the day drew to a close. Other headlining acts include The Steezies and Uncle Spike. PHOTO: Franna Lombaard
Ross Butler (24) considers the festival unmissable.
“It’s one of the best kept secrets of Stellenbosch in my opinion. Jan Marais park is such a beautiful setting. Everyone was out – people of all ages – from families to students and everything in between. It truly was a festival that encouraged microbreweries and hobbyists to come out and get some exposure,” he said.
Butler continued: “My good family friend, Charlie Murray, runs a small brewery (Urban Brewing Co.) from Hout Bay as a hobby. His beer sold so well that he actually had to drive back to Hout Bay half way through the afternoon to collect more from home.”
Fourie called the occasion “a South African event”, distancing it from Germany’s renowned Oktober Fest, although the similarities in trait are present.
“We try to keep it informal and give freedom to the breweries to really express their identities. Our priority is the people attending and trying to keep the queues as short as possible whilst still giving value to the stall guys. Just all around good music and good vibes,” he concluded.
Their next event will be hosted on 22 December at the Hermanus Craft Beer Festival.
A sunshine-filled day at Stellenbosch’s sixth annual Craft Beer Festival. With wonderful views of the surrounding mountains, guests could enjoy a variety of locally sourced beers from artisanal microbreweries in and around Stellenbosch. PHOTO: Franna Lombaard
– Kyra Tarr, Jana Wentzel and Ané van Zyl