Monday, October 19, 2009

Cape Town Annual Carnival starts 2010


More great news for Cape Town (and visitors) for 2010, Cape Town will stage its first Carnival that will not only match that of Rio, but will become an annual event. Whatever you do, book your accommodation now – whether affordable self catering Cape Town
accommodation, lodge or guest house for this exciting event.
The city fathers (or should that be mother?) have cleverly scheduled it between the famous Argus Cycle tour of the Cape peninsula and the 2 Oceans marathon. Executive Mayor Helen Zille has announced that starting 2010, Cape Town will have an annual all inclusive Carnival that will aim at bringing together the diverse communities of the city through music, dance, creative and cultural expression, culminating in a weekend of inclusive fun for Capetonians and visitors alike.
The Carnival will be held from 19 - 21 March 2010, with the aim to have the annual Carnival on the 3rd weekend of March every year, in between the Argus Cycle tour; the North Sea Jazz Festival and the Two Oceans marathon . Conveniently Sunday 21 March is a public holiday which will mean that the Monday will be a public holiday, and give you time to recover or stay longer in our beautiful city.
The highlight of the weekend will be a parade comprising 8,000 to 10,000 performers on Saturday, 20 March, and also include A fashion show by top Cape Town designers, a grand carnival ball and street parties.
The Friday night of the Carnival weekend will have Carnival balls and dancing, in a wide range of venues. Themed Balls will be held in all participating communities on the Friday evening, culminating in the Grand Carnival Ball on the Eve of Cape Town CarnivalOn the Saturday, there will be a street parade with some 1,500 and 3,000 artists including dancers, musicians, singers parading through the streets and magnificent floats; some as high as 2 stories. The participants from our wonderfully diverse communities will have an opportunity to put on their dancing shoes, fire up their rhythms and tell wonderful visual stories of diverse and common roots that span lifetimes.Throughout the day the crowds will be able to vote for their favourite group via SMS and people across South Africa will be able to watch the spectacle on TV.
There will be a competition at midday, with the groups performing for 60 minutes each.- the audience will be able to see breath-taking performances of dancers and musicians, a swirling mass of colour and creativity, costumes and movement stretching more than a kilometer. Professional judges will judge the formal part of the competition and finally the judging and voting will be combined. At the stroke of midnight, the winning group will be announced amidst joyous celebration. The top five teams will automatically be entered into the 2011 Carnival and the party will continue until the wee hours of the morning.
Professor Rachel Jafta, chairperson of the Cape Town Carnival Trustees said that following a visit to Rio- world famous for its carnival – “we identified that Cape Town has no shortage of cultural offerings combining music, dance and other kinds of creativity, however, these all seem to be catering for particular niches....we wanted to create something new, where communities interact and celebrate our uniqueness, but also unite as citizens of one of the most beautiful cities of the world.”
Currently, Cape Town's most famous carnival is the Cape Minstrel Festival, also known as the Kaapse Klopse carnival, which takes place on the second day of the New Year, when the brightly decorated and clothed minstrels and musicians parade the streets of Cape Town

Whatever your taste or interest there is something for you in Cape Town- any time of year.
The Carnival date falls at a time when the weather in cape Town is good, with little wind. For a great deal on Cape Town holiday accommodation see our website.

1 comment:

  1. The word "coon" was borrowed but its pejorative and racial connotations were ignored, so that it came to refer to a member of a minstrel troupe and nothing more.
    Kaapse klopse costumes

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