All set for the Bathurst Country Affair

From charcuterie and Cabernet to velskoens, beer boeps and a disco, there really is something for everyone in Bathurst this weekend at the Bathurst Country Affair from the afternoon of Friday August 11 to Sunday August 13. From upmarket, hand-picked exhibitors, to craft beer and wine tastings and hilarious competitions, live shows and music, the festival of food and fun spans the length and breadth of the village, as well as ages and tastes.

If you’re easily overwhelmed by places and choices, the good news is the programme’s made for you.

“We’ve designed the programme so that if you wanted to, you could fit in just about everything,” says co-organiser, Tanya Schenk.

Schenk dreamed up the first Bathurst Country Affair 11 years ago. After a break of a few years, now she’s back as part of a high-powered organising team. With the pandemic putting paid to one edition, 2023 marks the milestone 10th running of this popular, quirky event.

Starting at 3pm on Friday with food, music, comedy and karaoke, the programme takes you as late into the night as you want to go.

“Pretty much all the accommodation in Bathurst is booked up, but there’s loads of places to stay in Port Alfred (10-20 minutes drive away, depending on the conditions),” Schenk told Talk of the Town.

“Saturday is the bumper day,” Schenk says. “We get lots of day visitors from places like Kenton, Gqeberha, Makhanda and East London.”

Starting at 9am with a pigeon race from the Toposcope, it really is a packed day.

At the Village Green and on pavements around the village, gourmet and artisan food, crafts, handmade shoes and clothing and natural beauty products will be on offer until 5pm Saturday and 3pm Sunday.

“There will be such an array of beautiful stuff!”

Food is indeed a special focus of the Bathurst Country Affair, and for just R200, The Bathurst Culinary Passport (available at the Pig and Whistle Inn) gives you the chance to sample four tasting dishes from different eateries around the village. The passport is valid for the weekend while stocks last.

All weekend, also, will be live music in the Beer Garden at the Pig & Whistle, from 11am to 6pm Saturday and until 3pm on Sunday.

On Sunday, the regular Bathurst Farmers Market and Sandy Thomas Art Gallery are part of the mix. A traditional Sunday braai at The Ploughman, or the Pig & Whistle’s famous roast lunch with live music by Gary Ford could be your lunchtime date.

At the northern end of the village, museum tours, tractor rides, anvil tossing, a beer boep competition, a beard competition, beer tasting and bread making are all happening in the vicinity of the Ploughman Pub.

At the opposite end of the village, at the Big Pineapple and Summerhill Farm, you can test your limits in bokdrolspoeg and pineapple throwing contests. At SUmmerhill Farm you can also watch sport on the big screen dance into the night with a Decades Disco Party on Saturday and enjoy a traditional Sunday lunch.

Storytelling for children and a tractor, vintage cars and horses parade all happen at the Village Green on Saturday.

“There really is something for the whole family,” Schenk says.

Including the dogs.

“It’s a very animal-friendly village,” Schenk says. “We even have a pair of alpacas for the kids to meet and pose with.”

Enterntainment-wise, there’s a huge line-up of shows at various venues on Friday and Saturday. There’s no entry fee, except Friday night’s Rodriguez tribute concert at the Village Green and the Comedy Night and Dinner at the Ploughman Pub where entry includes a meal of bobotie and rice.

“The weather forecast for the weekend is looking really good,” Schenk says. “There’s a 5% chance of rain on Sunday afternoon.”

Tips and advice?

“It’s a big village: be adventurous!” Schenk says. “Start from the edges and work your way in. When you get to the centre, you can park and enjoy the rest on foot.

There will be additional security, including traffic control, marshalls and car guards.

“Everyone will be taken care of.”