Christmas in the southern hemisphere is usually associated with sunny skies and poolside braais. The little town of Tulbagh however allows you to experience the celebration as depicted in postcards with their Christmas in winter festival on the 29th and 30th of June 2013.
When the cold weather sets in, the Christmas trees and lights go up and the town, just an hour and a half drive out of Cape Town, is transformed into a winter wonderland. Christmas would not be the same without the children, and there is no shortage of entertainment in the form of face-painting jumping castles and pony rides. The streets come alive with activities from fire-engine rides with Santa to markets enticing you with local fare and for the brave, a chilli eating competition! Visitors can meet to chat (or watch the rugby) around roaring log fires whilst sipping delicious eggnog or gluhwein.
Top restaurants in the area offer special celebratory menus which invite you to enjoy traditional Christmas lunches and dinners with a bottle of one of the great wines from the area.
The town itself offers plenty of novelty shops, art galleries, photographic exhibitions and museums to visit as well as a choice of coffee shops to stop in to warm you up from the inside. A visit to the area must include a drive to the areas great wine farms which offer cellar tours to help you decided which of the fine wines to stock up on. The drive through the valley is beautifully scenic, and not only offers a choice of wines to taste, but along the way you can stop to sample Belgian chocolate, cheeses and olives, all with an added Christmas flavour.
Saturday night is the festivals highlight with the ‘Rock with Santa’ Party at The Lions Clubs. Live music around a beautiful Christmas tree brings everyone together and the cheerfulness of Christmas in winter to those wanting to enjoy this holiday northern hemisphere style.
Contact Tulbagh Tourism for more information on activities, participants and accommodation. http://www.tulbaghtourism.co.za/
