There’s definitely something afoot in town this week as the 41st Knysna Oyster Festival gathers momentum.
Sounds of music are floating across town from the field — the main hub of activities — and Main Road (N2) through Knysna and Waterfront Drive has been chock-a-block with traffic.
There’s a vibe ... the town has come to life in the middle of winter, which is exactly what the festival has always set out to do.
Shops are bustling and the Waterfront centre is pumping with festivalgoers. Restaurants and pubs are cooking.
There have been challenges for the Knysna Oyster Festival team over the years, including losing big sponsors, the pandemic killing the event in 2020 and returning the next year as a smaller version of itself with Covid safety measures in place.
But the festival is rocking this year, not only with marathon runners, cyclists and out of towners, but also within the local community.
The Eden Car Show in Sedgefield was a huge success, the Thesen Island Market, held over the first weekend, was well attended, and the marathon was just as popular as ever.
The Wine Festival this year was held at Simola Hotel and more than 20 wine farms from the Western Cape were represented.
It’s a great event because you get to meet the various ambassadors from the estates and chat about wine and of course the fun is in the tasting, but also bumping into people and the whole evening.
The cycling takes place this weekend.
My first encounter with the Knysna Oyster Festival was in 2015, when most of the action took place on the high school fields in a giant marquee.
There was something charming about heading for the tent dressed like a snowman.
It was a chance to get together with friends, enjoy music and comedy, wine and oyster-orientated events.
This year the tent is pumping. Marathon runners settled in for that celebratory beer and to watch the rugby in the tent on Saturday afternoon, locals gathered, the mood was festive, proof that the spirit of this event was alive and well.
There are plenty of activities around the field and the tent this week ... it becomes the hub of entertainment for visitors and locals.
There are literally dozens of things to do during the festival every day, from eating at oyster hotspots to joining the town’s artists, to live music, dragon boats, a padel competition, you name it.
One event really stood out for me as embracing the ethos of this festival with something special for locals and visitors — the Miss Pearl Competition. Held at the Waterfront, it was packed.
Charmaine Kruger is the owner and face of Garden Route Models and is part of the fabric of the Knysna community.
She has been mentoring young and aspirant models in the town since 2005.
Kruger’s purpose, she says, is to “empower the youth by teaching them life skills, grooming and building self-confidence”.
She’s a model, a pageant expert, beauty queen winner and image consultant and is loved in the town.
Kruger believes in “helping young women blossom by unlocking self-love and acceptance to help them look and feel their best”.
This is the fifth time she has put the first Miss Pearl beauty pageant together.
It was held in 2008, 2009, then in 2022 and for the last two years the event, which has been growing in popularity every year, has been staged at the Waterfront.
This year there were 55 finalists out of 70 entries, which was bigger than before.
The red carpet was out and so were the crowds, comprising family and friends of the models from all walks of life in Knysna — and of course curious visitors.
About 180 tickets were sold to spectators who wanted to be seated.
It wasn’t a warm day with a nippy wind blowing off the estuary, but the mood and excitement seemed to overcome some of the skimpier evening dresses worn by the models as they were cheered on by the crowds.
The event lasted about three hours and included various categories for the respective ages.
Lorencia Arries, 20, was the Miss Pearl winner in the 18-plus age group. Jodi-Lee Clarke, 16, was crowned Miss Pearl Teen.
The Junior Miss Pearl Teen was Jessica Turpin,13.
Abigail Lesch, 12, scooped the Tween Miss Pearl title and the winner of the Mini Miss Pearl was five-year-old Shaukeenah Quine. Lilly Stewart, 9, was Miss Congeniality.
It was fun and the crowd loved it. The little models in the mini category probably drew the most applause because they were so very cute.
Africa Vumazonke, founder of Black n White Visual Media and a well-known photographer in the town, was there to take the photos.
I recognised the grandparents of some of the children in the audience.
All in all, this event was a highlight on the Knysna Oyster Festival calendar.
The festival ends on June 30.
Weekender
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