Where to celebrate Heritage Day in the big cities

HERITAGE Day is one of the biggest celebrations on the South African calendar. Commemorated annually on September 24, it’s the day that enables us to celebrate our diverse cultures and traditions.

We dress in our traditional garb, dance to African beats, belt out ancestral songs and share a taste of African cuisine prepared with love.

If you prefer an outdoor celebration this Heritage Day, we’ve got a few suggestions for you.

Joburg

The Stables Village food market

Spoil your family with a variety of tasty foods at the Heritage Day food market at the Stables Village. There will be a cocktail bar, a deli, a nursery, an arts and crafts studio for kids, an interior design shop, hair salon, nail studio and Thai massage in a peaceful garden setting, along with a Sunday Market and live music.

Where: 212 3rd Road, Chartwell When: September 24

Cost: Free (bring money to buy food and drinks)

Braai at the Maslow

For meat lovers, the Lawns Maslow Hotel in Sandton is hosting a braai on September 24. On its menu is a Tandoori chicken sosatie brushed with yoghurt; lamb shoulder, pita, hummus and all the trimmings; pap tart; mature cheddar with sweetcorn; home-made chakalaka with red beans and grilled peppers; and roasted mealies on the cob. For something sweet, seasonal fruit skewers with honey and hazelnuts, peach schnapps, home-made trifle with vanilla sponge, wild berry jelly and crème anglaise, chocolate tart with peppermint crisp and koeksisters will be served to tickle your taste buds.

Where: The Lawns, Maslow Hotel, Sandtonm corner Grayston Drive and Rivonia Road

When: September 24

Cost: R350 for adults and R170 for kids

Call: (010) 226 4815

Cape Town

Braai at Constantia Glen

Just like Joburgers, Capetonians can also enjoy a toast to spring, over a braai and cool climate wines at picturesque Constantia Glen. The celebration will offer guests live music as they indulge in a generous platter for two of tasty lamb spit braai, boerewors, braaibroodjie, pap poppers with peppadews and cheese, chakalaka, mixed salad and olives.

To make a reservation, visit www. constantiaglen.com.

Constantia Main Road,

Where:

Constantia

When: September 24

Cost: R360

Special dinners at the Lanzerac Manor Kitchen

The Lanzerac Manor Kitchen, which reopened on October 1 after closing for 12 months, will be hosting special dinners in celebration of

Heritage Month. The dinners be on Friday and Saturday evenings in the Manor Kitchen.

“September is such a significant month for South Africans, and we want to take this opportunity to wish all our guests an enriching Heritage Month in the best way we know how to. We invite all South Africans to join us for a month of celebration with delicious cuisine and our signature wines at Lanzerac,” says Lanzerac general manager Emile Langenhoven.

With wine being a part of South Africa’s heritage, most of the dishes at the special dinners will be paired with the Lanzerac Heritage Range, specifically introduced to embrace the wine heritage of South Africa.

Dates and costs: Friday dinners (today and September 24) at R995 a couple.

Saturday dinners (tomorrow and September 25), wine pairing excluded: R560 a person or R1 120 a couple. Wine pairing included: R895 a person or R1 790 a couple.

To purchase tickets, please contact discover@lanzerac.co.za

Heritage Day Lockdown Recipe Storytelling Book Food Festival

Rivendell Wine Estate invites the whole family for a Lockdown Recipe Storytelling Book (LRSB) festival on Heritage Day, paying tribute to South Africa’s rich and diverse culinary culture and komvandaan.

The LRSB group is a Facebook initiative curated by television personality and businesswoman, Ingrid Jones. She started it early last year when South

Africans faced the first hard lockdown and many conversations had to be moved online.

The food stalls offer a range of hot meals, preserves, pies, samoosas, and koeksisters, frozen meals and pastries, as well as various sweet options.

The day’s programme includes cooking demonstrations by leading chefs and celebrity cooks, food, wine, and gin tastings, storytelling, entertainment, poetry readings by revered artists, book discussions and signing, and a cooking competition. Call 028 284 9185.

Venue: Rivendell Wines

When: September 24

Cost: R60 a person

Durban

Indulge in a Durban-style curry

There’s nowhere else in the country that does curry like Durban. From unique spice blends that add flavour and heat to the aroma of curry leaves and the rich red colour of the gravy that soaks into the melt-in-yourmouth potatoes, tucking into a curry there is all part of embracing the true Durban experience.

If you’re looking to satisfy your taste buds with more authentic Indian dishes, Durban is the ultimate treasure trove of hidden restaurant gems. When it comes to generous portion size and authentic and tasty flavours, Goundens in Umbilo Road is where it’s at.

Satisfy monster curry cravings with mutton, chicken, fish or mince curry or, try something different and dig into

kebabs or chops chutney, for a change. Whatever you decide, be sure to also try its bunny chows that overflow with gravy and come served with tangy vinegar chilli, onion and grated carrots. Venue: Umbilo Road, Glenwood Cost: From R49 to R70 a portion Call: 031 205 5363

Get cultural at Phansi Museum Durban is home to an array of museums that house objects of historical, scientific, artistic, or cultural interest. Operating from a fully restored, Victorian national monument in Glenwood, the Phansi Museum bursts

with culture. The three floors of the mansion showcase Zulu beadwork, earplugs, wire baskets, beer pots, fertility dolls, Ndebele blankets and ceremonial items, and artefacts from the Eastern Cape, Namibia and Kenya.

The most popular exhibit is the marionette room, where 30 life-size puppets are adorned with ceremonial dresses from southern Africa. The museum is open Monday to Thursday from 8am to 4pm, on Friday from 8am to 3pm and on Saturday from 10am to 2pm It is closed on Sundays.

Where: Esther Roberts Road, Glenwood

Cost: R70 a person

Call: 031 206 2889

Traverse a suspension bridge at Oribi Gorge

Surrounded by lush greenery and wildlife, one of the most exhilarating parts of a visit to Lake Eland Game Reserve is walking across their 80m suspension bridge.

A short road trip of 120km south of Durban, the drive is worth the sweeping views seen from such a height. With lush greenery and splendid landscapes, the experience is awe-inspiring, as you get to see the magnificence and grandeur of the Oribi Gorge from a wonderful vantage point.

Apart from the restaurants and tea garden, there is also a site for picnics and braaing and the choice of taking a self-guided game drive through one of its various routes.

Where: Lake Eland Game Reserve Cost: R65 a person

Call: 039 687 0395