Community Events

If you want to escape the city and chill out in a superb mountain setting while listening to acoustic performances by some of the country’s top artists, then look no further than the annual White Mountain Folk Festival.

Coinciding with Heritage Day and the start of the school holidays, this intimate, family-friendly festival runs over four days from September 24 to 27 and is held at White Mountain Lodge near Giant’s Castle in the beautiful Central Drakensberg, only 34km from Estcourt on tarred roads.

Featured acts include Rambling Bones, the alter ego of Jay Bones, frontman for popular ska/punk band Fuzigish; Wonderboom’s Cito, performing songs from his soon-to-be released debut solo album; as well as a rare, acoustic solo performance by Bertie Coetzee, lead vocalist for Afrikaans folk rock outfit Zinkplaat.

Also on the bill are Farryl Purkiss, Josie Field, Larry Amos, Gary Thomas, Laurie Levine, Redhand Blues Band, Joshua Grierson, Andra, Barry Thomson, Flowing Water Band and Catlike Thieves, to name but a few.

Other attractions range from abseiling, paintball and helicopter flips to fishing, boating, hiking and a zip line across a nearby 100m-wide gorge. There’s also a beer market featuring several local breweries, colourful arts and crafts and a variety of food stalls catering for all tastes. Festival-goers can also make full use of the lodge’s facilities, including a restaurant, pub, games room, swimming pool and satellite TV.

Now in its fourth year, White Mountain is KZN’s only acoustic music festival and has quickly become a firm favourite on the events calendar. Tickets are available at Game stores in KZN (R400), Computicket (R450) and at the festival gate (R500). The price includes camping for the entire festival and children under 12 pay R50. For more information, visit www.whitemountain.co.za or contact Pedro at 082 892 6176.