Tonteldoos Country Festival
03/04/2010
Place of event: Tonteldoos, Thaba Chweu Rural, Dullstroom, 1111, Mpumalanga, South Africa
WHAT: Tonteldoos Country Festival
VENUE: Tonteldoos
WHERE: Thaba Chweu Rural, Dullstroom, 1111, Mpumalanga, South Africa
WHEN: 03 April Saturday
HOW MUCH: 25 CURRENCY: ZAR
PRICE DETAILS: Adults: R25 pp; Children: Free
ESTIMATED ATTENDANCE: About 3 000 people
WHY GO: The festival has grown in stature and has become somewhat legendary since its establishment in 1996. The organisers say that for a considerable amount of people who attended the earlier festivals, it has become an annual outing to enjoy a charming country experience in the remote yet easily accessable Tonteldoos. A festival spokesperson is quoted as saying "We decided to stick to Easter because the long weekend makes it possible for people to explore the area, get to know more about its interesting history and just to relax and enjoy the peace and quiet amidst the beauty of nature. The many guest houses and lodges in the area with trout dams also make it a fly-fishing weekend break away par excellence. The Tonteldoos Country Festival on the Saturday adds the spice and colour to round off an unforgettable Easter weekend" when describing the appeal of the festival. At least seventeen food and delicacy stalls will see to it that everyone can feast on whatever appeals to them, from traditional pancakes and braaivleis to the more extraordinary and a beer tent and a tea garden will cater for the thirsty. Tonteldoos is well known for its famous peach mampoer which originated here, apparently taken from the name of chieftain Mampure, it served as an effective means of bribery over a century ago. The readily available peach mampoer will no doubt be in great demand once again at this year's festival. The Tonteldoos Country Festival derived from the earlier annual Peach Festival in February during the peach season. Coinciding with the usual regular rainfalls of February, it often had to be cancelled or simply rained out. Hence the community eventually decided to postpone the happening to later in the year. Easter was identified as the most suitable period because a large number of people visit the area then. The shift of date caused the festival to lose the connotation to the peach harvest which Tonteldoos is well known for. The festival was then renamed to Tonteldoos Country Festival.
USEFUL INFO: The festival grounds open at 09:00. Free secure parking is available. Tonteldoos is situated about 25km North East of Dullstroom. Directions to the village will be posted in Dullstroom and on the Roossenekal / Steelpoort road during Easter weekend.
ORGANIZER CONTACT: André Meyer
ORGANIZER PHONE No.: +27 13 254 8902
ORGANIZER CELL No.: +27 82 565 3402
ORGANIZER EMAIL: mwdumey@mweb.co.za
