The Taste of Darling Festival

Experience Darling at the most vibrant, tasty and welcoming festival of the year

As summer draws to an end and the warm, sunny weather migrates North, we wave goodbye to all the festivals that are so synonymous with the season in Cape Town; wine, beer, music and food celebrations are a weekly occurrence that will be missed over the coming months. So as a final farewell, the sleepy town of Darling has decided to throw one last celebration - a super-festival of sorts that brings together the best of the area’s produce. We’re talking about The Taste of Darling festival, which takes place from Wednesday, 26 April to Monday, 1 May 2017.

Like the brainchild of Dr Frankenstein, this amalgamation of bits and bobs from various businesses in Darling will make it one of the must-attend festivals of the year. Think wine and beer tastings from the region’s farms and breweries, food showcases at the various restaurants and coffee shops, musical performances at a selection of venues and stages, art exhibitions and much more!

The aim is to show the variety, diversity and ingenuity of offerings and attractions in Darling, with a true feast-for-the-senses celebration. Spend a day perusing the streets as every nook will have something to discover, or spend the entire long weekend there and get away from the stress of the Mother City. Explore Darling Brew, Evita se Perron, Cloof Wine Estate, Darling Sweet and more as you uncover pure happiness.

Best of all - there is no admission fee for The Taste of Darling. Instead, certain musical performances and live shows will carry a separate entry fee that will help to support the local businesses and attractions in Darling.

VENUES AT THE 2017 TASTE OF DARLING FESTIVAL

• Chicory Cheese Café - Situated just off the Main Road, this popular neighbourhood café offers guests a relaxing, homely feel. Try the cocktails and tapas on Friday night.

• Cloof Wine Estate - The home of the annual Rocking the Daisies festival, this secluded wine estate produces exceptional wines.

• Darling Brew - The new state-of-the-art venue perfectly showcases their nationally-available craft beers with perfect pairing options on an enticing menu, including a pig on the spit. Catch Glyn Lewis and DMA live on stage, or check out the art exhibition.

• Darling Olives - This family business is a hidden gem that will change the way you see olives, through educational tastings.

• Darling Sweet - A must-see for those with a sweet tooth. Try their renowned hand-crafted sticky toffees and toffee spreads. There will also be an art exhibition on show.

• Evita Se Perron - This famous cabaret theatre is the home to Tannie Evita Bezuidenhout - Pieter-Dirk Uys’ alter ego, so stop by and say hello to her, or chill out to the live music shows.

• The Darling Wine Shop - Stocking the largest range of Darling wines on Earth, this shop will host wine tastings, food pairings, live music, a gin bar and more.

• The Flying Pig CureSmiths - Pop in and purchase some unique artisanal slow-cured meats that have been lovingly created using traditional European recipes.

A special Freedom Day Concert will take place at 6pm at the NG Church, featuring the DMA’s vocalists Nombulelo Yende and Bongani Kubheka, accompanied by Dr Lisa Engelbrecht on piano. Also check out the Daisy Darling Art Gallery’s live artist painting on Saturday, or the art exhibition at The Marmalade Cat.

SCHEDULE FOR THE 2017 TASTE OF DARLING FESTIVAL

Date	Event
Wed 26 April	International Food Evening at Darling College
Thu 27 April	Full day of stall, kiddies' entertainment and shows at Evita se Perron
	Freedom Day Concert at the NG Church
	Art exhibitions at Daisy Darling Art Studio, Marmalade Cat, Darling Sweet and Darling Brew
Fri 28 April	Full day of stall, kiddies' entertainment and shows at Evita se Perron
	Jenny and the Jamses at Evita se Perron
	Art exhibitions at Daisy Darling Art Studio, Marmalade Cat, Darling Sweet and Darling Brew
	Glyn Lewis & Sundowners at the Darling Wine Shop
	Cocktails and meze tapas at Chicory Cheese Cafe
Sat 29 April	Darling Grand Parade on the streets of Darling *CANCELLED
	Full day of stall, kiddies' entertainment and shows at Evita se Perron
	Spit braai, beer tastings and live music at Darling Brew
	Wine and food pairings, food stalls and live music at the Darling Wine Shop
	Art exhibitions at Daisy Darling Art Studio, Marmalade Cat, Darling Sweet and Darling Brew
Sun 30 April	Full day of stall, kiddies' entertainment and shows at Evita se Perron
	Country Market at Groote Post
	Art exhibitions at Daisy Darling Art Studio, Marmalade Cat, Darling Sweet and Darling Brew
Mon 1 May	Full day of stall, kiddies' entertainment and shows at Evita se Perron
	Art exhibitions at Daisy Darling Art Studio, Marmalade Cat, Darling Sweet and Darling Brew

TICKETS TO THE 2017 TASTE OF DARLING FESTIVAL

As mentioned earlier, there are no tickets for this six-day affair, but certain venues will carry their own entrance fees, so bring along extra cash. Visit Tasteofdarling.co.za for updates and more information on the venues and attractions. Alternatively, you can email taste@tasteofdarling.co.za or phone +27 (0)22 492 3361 for additional information. Other phone numbers to call are +27 (0)22 492 3971 and +27 (0)82 623 2244.

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