Turning Cape Town pink from 24 February to 4 March, The Cape Town Pride Festival is an annual institution on the events calendar. An entertainment extravaganza, the festival also seeks to bring to the fore issues impacting on the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) communities throughout South Africa and beyond. The festival celebrates diversity in all respects.

Cape Town Pride Festival 2012

This annual celebration of diversity is a well loved event by locals and visitors alike. Enjoy the vibrant, crazy costumes at the Parade, see the bevy of beauties and hunks strut their stuff on stage at the Pageant or indulge in some fantastic treats at the Fair. Events this year include a Pride Film Premiere, a Red Party, workshops, a pool party, Mr and Ms Cape Town Pride pageant, an interfaith service, sunset beach picnic, a book fair, a Pink Ball and so much more.

This festival supports the Cape Town Pride Shelter Trust. This non-profit organisation was created to raise funds for the establishment of a shelter offering safe short-term accommodation the gay, lesbian and transgender people during crisis periods, in Cape Town .

Support diversity, and support freedom. Take part in the Cape Town Pride Festival, or go along to support the events. Please visit the website for more information.

As the summer season heats up, so does the calendar. February is the month of music  and arts in the Western Cape!

Up The Creek Music Festival

Up The Creek Music Festival takes place on an annual basis in Swellendam. With one river, three stages and  more than 30 live music and comedy acts, approximately 2000 festival-goers will descend upon this usually quiet campsite in Swellendam from 3 to 5 February. The 2012 line up includes Kongos, aKing, Akkedis, Black Cat Bones, Blues Broers, Cameron Bruce, City Bowl Mizers and Taxi Violence, amongst many others. This is a family-friendly festival, and your kids will be well taken care of in the designated kids’ area. Visit the website for more information.

Darling Music Experience

The Darling Music Experience exists to freshen up the image of classical music and increase its accessibility to all people of the West Coast, Cape Town and beyond. A celebration of the good things in life, the Darling Music Experience takes place from 3 to 10 February and plays host to a wide variety of classical and contemporary chamber music, popular choir works and Jazz. Expect performances from the DME Festival Chamber Orchestra, the Darling Festival Quartet, the Darling Festival Choir, the Westcoast Jazz and others. Visit the website for more information.

Cape Town International Ballet Competition

The Cape Town International Ballet Competition will see talented dancers from South Africa, Singapore, China, United Kingdom, Cuba and South Korea take the stage. The CTIBC is the only international ballet competition on the African continent, attracting talented dancers from many countries to one of the most beautiful cities in the world to compete in Cape Town’s Artscape Opera House opera house for gold, silver and bronze medals as well as substantial monetary prizes on a par with other major international ballet competitions.This is an opportunity for both local and foreign dancers as well as the dance companies in South Africa as they can use this competition as an platform to find new and exciting talents. The elimination rounds take place from Tuesday 28 February to Thursday 1 March 2012 at 19h00 with the finals on Friday 2 March at 20h00 and the Grand Gala Performance on Saturday 3 March at 20h00. Due to popular demand a second Gala performance will take place on Sunday 4 March at 15h00. Visit the website for more information.

The Classic Car and Bike Show takes place this year on 21 and 22 January 2012. Hosted annually by the International Police Association and now into it’s eleventh year, the event focuses on exhibiting classic vehicles whilst raising money for important charitable programmes. The show features some of the rarest and most beautiful cars and bikes in the Cape and is one of only a handful of exhibits on this scale. The show is held at the Timour Hall Villa in Plumstead.

Classic Car and Bike Show

Modern and Future Classics are displayed on the Saturday, whilst Vintage Classics take the spotlight on the Sunday. Modern Classic cars include  Hot Rods, Street Rods, soupedup vehicles, racing cars and bikes, custom vehicles and motorcycles a few new cars and bikes. Vintage Classics include vehicles dating back from as far as the 1890′s. These classic cars invoke an era of elegance, a more relaxed way of life and a time when craftsmanship was an important element of vehicle design and manufacture.

You won’t go thirsty or hungry at the show either, as a number of food and refreshment stalls will be set up to cater to your needs.

This year’s show is being held in support of Living Way. Living Way is part of Living Hope, a non-profit organization that is working in the South Peninsula of Cape Town. Living Way’s goal is to economically empower people from under-resourced communities to break their cycle of poverty one family at a time.

For more information on this must-see show, please visit the website or call 021 797 3582.

The holiday season has come to an end but, Cape Town is still the place to be! There’s an abundance of things to do and places to visit.

The Comedy of Errors at the Maynardville Open Air Theatre

If you’re keen on supporting local theatre and enjoying some of the world’s greatest literature, then you’ll enjoy the Shakespeare show at the Maynardville Open Air Theatre. The show runs for forty days, from 10 January to 18 February 2012. This charming theatre venue offers patrons both a 500m2 wooded park for pre-show picnics and drinks, as well as a unique wooded 720-seater theatre setting. This year’s production is The Comedy of Errors. Tickets are available through Computicket or at the Maynardville Theatre Box Office.

For the more energetic among us, the Totalsports Challenge 2012 will be taking place on 14 January 2012. This is the tenth edition of this fast-paced event. Participants can choose between the action-packed 7-discipline Totalsports Challenge or the less daunting 4-discipline Totalsports Terra Firma Challenge. Individual athletes or teams can compete together. For more information, call Top Events on 021 511 7130.

Classic Car and Bike Show

The Classic Car and Bike Show takes place over two days on 21 and 22 January 2012. Now in its eleventh this show features some of the rarest and most beautiful cars and bikes in the Cape and is one of only a handful of exhibits on this scale. Modern Classics will be showcased on the Saturday, whilst the more classic vehicles will be exhibited on the Sunday. For all enquiries, please contact Jo on 021 797 2582 or visit the website.

The holiday season may have drawn to a close but, that doesn’t mean the calendar has! Enjoy all that Cape Town has to offer as a new year begins.

The team at The Forge Web Creations  proudly brings you the Cape Stay network and its partner sites Cape Stay Blog; Cape Travel Information and Cape Accommodation.

Happy Holidays from The Forge!

The team wishes you and your loved ones a peaceful, safe and restful festive season.

Whether you spend your holiday exploring, relaxing or celebrating, may this festive season bring you joy.

We look forward to bringing you more news, exciting specials and insight into the Western Cape in 2012.

The holidays are here and so it’s time to plan how you’ll spend New Years Eve!

Cape Town is hosting a variety of parties and shows that are sure to entice you, enabling you to let loose and party until the sun comes up.

The Victoria and Alfred Waterfront will be hosting a variety of top local bands and a fantastic fireworks display is set to explode into the skies at exactly midnight. Attendance is free, and the party starts at 19h00. For more information, call 021 408 7600 or visit the website.

New Years Eve in Cape Town

The New Years Eve edition of the Kirstenbosch Summer Sunset concerts will let you ring in the new year in style, with a concert featuring the South African greats, Prime Circle and Elvis Blue. Tickets are R250 each, and you can book via Webtickets.

The trendiest spot to be on New Years Eve in Cape Town this year will be the Cape Quarter. Party the night away as the hip DJ’s set the dance tone with classic and current hits, while the multi-skilled Fire Poi dancers entertain you.  With DJ Charlie Brown on The Piazza,  DJ Mood Swing on The Square, and DJ Mitzi at Lazari on Jarvis Street, you can be sure of a party to remember! Visit the Cape Quarter website for more information.

And if you’re planning to go really big for this new year’s eve, why not make a long weekend out of it and head on over to Rezonance New Years Eve Festival. This three day festival will host loads of different music styles and bands on two stages in beautiful surrounding of Contermanskloof, roughly 20 minutes north of Cape Town. With more than 70 local and international bands it is one of the biggest open-air festivals in South Africa. You can book your space via webtickets.

The Western Cape is hotting up for the summer holidays, and your diary is probably fill to the brim by now. Make sure you go along to these essential events, and enjoy the best of the Western Cape!

For something completely different, why not join in the upcoming Yoga-Rave? Yoga-Rave is the Art of Living Foundation & International Association for Human Values worldwide initiative to promote non-violence and a stress-free society, through a creative, uplifting and energizing way. A new interactive, dynamic entertainment experience, free from alcohol, smoking and drugs, where the body only responds to the stimuli from the live riveting rave mantras, music, yoga and meditation. Taking place on 9 December in Woodstock, Yoga-Rave is the perfect blend between sound and silence, movement and stillness. Proceeds of this hip and happening event goes towards the International Association for Human Values service projects. Tickets cost R170 and you can call Clotilde on 083 301 3976 for more information.

Wavescape Film Festival 2011

The Wavescape Film Festival takes place from 9 to 19 December, at Clifton 4th Beach, the Labia Theatre and the Brass Bell. Films this year include the avant garde production Year Zero, as well as hot surfing movies Leave a Message, Minds in the Water and Come Hell or High Water. Wavescape also screens the amazing Art of Flight snowboarding movie and MTB film Life Cycles. Showings at Clifton 4th Beach take place from 4 to 9 December, the Brass Bell from 11 to 14 December and the Labia from 15 to 19 December. A full art exhibition forms part of this film festival and is hosted by Pick ‘n Pay. Visit the website for more information.

Durbanville comes alive on 10 December, with a fantastic beerfest. A true family event, the lineup includes great local musicians, wonderful food stalls and, of course, a multitude of beer stalls. The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) is on board this year raising funds with a, Anything That Floats Race. Homemade, muscle powered craft with the maximum of six crew will compete on a demarcated course to become the 2011 Durbanville Beer Festival Champions. Gates open at 10am, and close at 8pm. Head out and enjoy a day of family fun! Call Jacky on 078 587 7551 for more information.

The Cape Town Folk and Acoustic Music Festival

The Cape Town Folk and Acoustic Music Festival will host the highest calibre of South Africa artists, including the likes of Guy Buttery, Steve Newman, Ard Matthews and many more. In total, 18 brilliant musicians will play, and the look and feel of the festival will be in the style of a 70′s Folk concert – all artists will perform solo or duo sets completely acoustically. Please bring along a toy to donate to the local Hospice, for sick children who will be spending their festive season at Hospice. Tickets for the Cape Town Folk and Acoustic Music Festival cost R200 at the door or R180 when ordering through Webtickets, and R5 of each ticket purchased will be donated to the SPCA. This concert will be hosted on 10 December, at the Cape Town International Convention Centre.

Bouchard Finlayson Cellars in Hermanus will play host to one of the region’s festive season highlights on 19 and 20 December. The Hermanus Christmas Concerts are held on an annual basis, and raise funds for the Hermanus Cancer Fund. This year guests will be entertained by the talented saxophonist Maxine Matthews and renowned pianist Christopher Duigan. Tickets cost R150 and all proceeds go towards the Cancer Fund. Guests meet at the Bouchard Finlayson wine cellar at 17h45 for a glass of wine and canapé’s on the evenings of Monday 19th and Tuesday 20th December. Call 028 312 1485 or  028 313 1633 for more information.

The summer holidays are mere days away, so it’s time to start putting together your plans for the festive season. The Western Cape will be hosting a wide range of activities and festivals for you and your family to enjoy over this special time of the year.

The Malmesbury Christmas Light Festival takes place on 2 December. Join the community in the delightful town of Malmesbury and enjoy a street parade, carols and of course, the grand “switching on” of the Christmas lights. You can also look forward to finishing up your Christmas shopping at the Christmas market. The market is open from 15h00 to 22h00. For more information, call Malmesbury Tourism on 022 487 1133.

The Paarl Festival of Lights takes place from 2 to 4 December. This festival for the whole family will include performances by local artists, a merry-go-round and some fabulous shopping opportunities. Call 021 863 3555 for more information.

The Cap Classique and Champagne Festival takes over Franschhoek from 2 to December. Celebrating champagne, and all the culinary delights that accompany it well, the Cap Classique will showcase a wide range of champagnes and gourmet cuisine. Restaurants in Franschhoek are compiling special menus for the event, and you can enjoy a wonderland of specials at Franschhoek’s stylish boutiques. It all takes place at Franschhoek Monument and you can call 021 876 2861 for more information.

Spier will celebrate the festive season with a dazzling display of lights and a diverse collection of artistic performances at the Festival of White Lights. This festival takes place on 9 December at Spier Wine Estate. With tickets costing R100 for adults and just R60 for children under the age of 12, this festival includes a fabulous picnic on the lawns, fire-dancers, musical performances and a magnificent display of light installations. Book your tickets at Computicket for this fabulous festival.

Observatory Village Green will host the annual OBZ festival from 9 to 11 December. The largest street festival of its kind in Southern Africa, the OBZ festival will host a number of top South African musical acts, including aKING and Gazelle. Street performers, visual arts displays and numerous other entertainment options will make up this eclectic showcase of arts and culture. Visit the festival website for more information.

Marmo is the face of PUMA’s newly-launched youth ocean conservation campaign and joins the PUMA Ocean Racing team in their intrepid adventure as the mascot and 13th crew member. With Cape Town being the second stop-over in this race, children will be able to meet Marmo, the strong, smart sea creature who draws his identity from PUMA’s boat, the magnificent Mar Mostro.

Marmo Saves our Seas

Marmo will star in an illustrated children’s book – “Marmo Saves Our Seas” – created by PUMA to educate children and their families about the importance of preserving the wonders of the oceans. Marmo tells the story in a way that is captivating, fun and easily understandable for young children. He explains what small changes we can make in our lives – like giving up plastic bags – to better the world’s oceans and aquatic life.

Marmo will spend time with children and their families in Cape Town from 25 November to 11 December this year. Marmo will make guest appearances at the V&A Waterfront, as well as the Two Oceans Aquarium and PUMA Quad for story-time readings of his book. The readings are taking place inside the Aquarium from 25 Nov – 10 Dec, every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday at 10:30am and are free once you are inside the Aquarium. Readings at the PUMA Quad will take place on 25, 26 and 27 November at 2:30pm and from 2 December to 11 December at 2:30pm.

Marmo

As PUMA’s boat Mar Mostro (Monster of the Sea) makes its epic journey around the world in the 2011-2012 Volvo Ocean Race (VOR), Marmo will be featured in an online marine conservation education programme, relaying his experiences at www.puma.com. Children and their families will be able to track Marmo’s adventure with the PUMA boat crew, learning about marine issues, habitats and sea creatures along the race route. Educational games and quizzes about ocean conservation will also be available online.

Finally, young Marmo fans will be able to purchase limited edition Marmo product made from sustainable materials, sold exclusively at the PUMA Quad during the Cape Town stop-over.

For more information on the race, team and crew visit www.puma.com/marmo or contact PUMA on 021 551 0832; and for more information please contact the Aquarium on 021 418 3823.

PUMA Sailing fans can catch all the action of the PUMA Ocean Racing team with the arrival of PUMA’s racing yacht, Mar Mostro (Monster of the Sea), at the V&A Waterfront in November.

Mar Mostro is PUMA’s second entry into the 2011/12 Volvo Ocean Race having placed second in the 2008/9 Volvo Ocean Race.

Cape Town is the first stop-over in this “Mount Everest of sailing,” a 39,000 nautical mile, round-the-world ocean race, stopping in ten ports over the course of nine months.

PUMA’s Mar Mostro is expected to sail into the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town on 25 November. Spectators will be able to view the boat in action in-port on 9 and 10 December and at the race restart on 11 December.

A PUMA pop-up store and entertainment zone called the PUMA Quad will be located opposite the V&A Amphitheatre, to provide the public with limited edition PUMA product for the two-week stopover.

PUMA will host daily activities at the PUMA Quad. Sailing prowess will be tested with grinding competitions taking place between 3pm and 6pm on the 26 November, 1, 3, 8 December as well as between 2pm and 4pm on 10 and 11 December.

The contestant with the best grinding results on competition days will win a R1000 PUMA voucher. Two grand prizes of R10 000 in PUMA vouchers will be awarded to the contestants with the top grinding scores on 10 and 11 December.

Daily sundowner Spinnaker Sessions will start on 25 November and will see the likes of local DJs Dino Moran and Craig De Sousa spinning cool tunes at the PUMA Quad from 6.15pm to 9pm and between 7.15pm to 9pm on 10 and 11 December.

In 2010 PUMA hosted a series of parties around the globe to celebrate the after-hours athlete – a person who loves to compete in the lesser known sports (pool, foosball etc) within the social environment. PUMA will continue to celebrate these after-hours sports heroes, this time with a sailing twist, through the PUMA Social Club presents All Hands on Deck party on 9 December from 4pm to 1am at Quay 4, V&A Waterfront.

This is the official Volvo Ocean Race party with live performances by Jack Parow, Craig de Sousa, Holiday Murray, Anthea Scholtz, Them Tornados and The Wedding DJs. Ping pong, darts and bowling are a few of the games that can be played with a drink in your hand on the night. Tickets are limited and will be sold at the door for R50 per person.

The PUMA Ocean Racing team is led by Skipper Ken Read, who has amassed 10 of the most elite off-shore sailors from across the globe, including South African born Jono Swain, to compete in this epic race.

The Volvo Ocean Race begins 5 November 2011 in Alicante, Spain and ends in Galway, Ireland in July 2012. The eight stopovers in between include: Cape Town, Abu Dhabi, Sanya (China), Auckland, Itajaí (Brazil), Miami, Lisbon and Lorient (France).

For more information on the race, team, and crew visit www.puma.com/sailing.