CraftFest yesterday was a blast. Thousands descended on the festival, brought to you by the Independent on Saturday and the Shongweni Farmers and Craft Market, to celebrate everything fun and crafty.
The beer hall was the centre of attention with many of KZN’s top craft breweries pulling pints, including a cherry lager one woman readily admitted might be hooligan juice. From traditional Guinness style ales, to popular light lagers, to pale ales and red ales and even wheat beers, CraftFest had it covered.
KZN’s top gins were represented, whether as premixes or in cocktails. Koroa Gin from Ballito offered their award winning range, fresh from an international gin challenge, made with locally sourced botanicals that include cardamom, coriander and juniper berries.
Busi Shelembe and Sindiswa Mthethwa of Pretty Drinks surprised all with their range of cocktails from drinks layered in the colours of the pride flag to creations with cucumber, ginger, strawberries. The two women from Pietermaritzburg started their own mobile cocktail bar after finding cocktail offerings in the capital weren’t exciting enough. They’ve certainly changed that!
There was a range of wine spritzers that took in flavours like elderflower and cranberry. Kombucha with gin also featured, as did a really exotic range of gin garnishes.
The weather too played ball, a beautiful sunny winter day being the perfect backdrop for a relaxed outing in the country.
Food offerings were legendary. Justus van Staden’s biltong steaks were a hit, as were his massive burgers and steak rolls, while Menzi Mbonambi’s vegan offerings served in a cabbage leaf were well received. Moroccan, Greek, Turkish, Indian and other delights were all represented, as were chocolate-filled donuts and chocolate brownies, pancakes, cookies and more.
Visitors browsed through the crafters’ stalls, admiring exotic clothing, beautiful dècor, leather goods, toys, and some of artist Isaac Chikwatu’s paintings of Africa, his quizzical giraffes looking over everything with their decidedly human expressions.
Children joined in the fun, many having their faces painted with stars, stripes, glitter, maps of Africa, anything was possible. The Shongweni Market train was the highlight as delighted young faces smiled and waved at adults as the train chugged around the perimeter of the market, clanging a bell for the adults to get out of the way.
The lawns were the place to be to relax and listen to some of the province’s top musical acts, with dancing, laughing, toasting, celebrating, a couple napping, all soaking in the casual vibe. Even naughty dachshund Olive got in on the act, surreptitiously taking a sniff of Mommie Zané Möhr’s delicious looking cocktail.
It was a day well spent.
The Independent on Saturday