There is a wild experience lying in wait for the whole family at the SPAR Kirkwood Wildsfees taking place from June 27 to June 29 through a bigger than ever Walk on the Wildside (WOW) marquee.
Greeting visitors at the entrance will be the Tree of Life, made from recycled cardboard by APL Cartons Packaging and decorated with household waste.
Festival goers will be able to write their commitment to preserving our wonderful natural environment and add it to the tree.
There will be signs warning visitors to beware of dinosaurs, which will return to their old Sundays River haunts for the festival.
Festival goers of all ages can dig for fossils, enjoy a virtual reality experience, and snap a selfie with Rexie, the dinosaur mascot.
The WOW marquee will also be the place to go to plan your next holiday. There will be 19 tourism destinations and experiences showcasing the wonderful family and adventure holiday destinations the region has to offer.
Sarah Baartman District Tourism, Eastern Cape Parks and Tourism (ECPTA) and Addo Tourism will connect you to all the attractions the area, including the Sundays River Valley, has to offer.
Ron Mackenzie will share his love of the small towns of South Africa and share the best hidden gems.
There will also be a buzz around professional beekeeper Lohan Geel, who will be promoting the conservation of bees.
It will be the place to find out all you need to know about the world of bees and enjoy some honey tasting from the different types of flowers the bees visited.
Creepy crawlies make their comeback to the WOW tent. Mark Marshall of Sandula Conservation will host talks all weekend long as he educates festinos about snakes, spiders, plants, tortoises and much more.
Youngsters will be able to lose themselves in fantasy through daily puppet shows with a conservation theme sponsored by the Waste Trade Company.
Visitors can go green by having their faces painted green at their stand.
For early risers, the gates open for a Be-dingus Wildsfees experience at 09:00 on Friday, June 27.
A day entrance pass for under 18s is R120 throughout the weekend, and R250 for adults on Friday and Saturday.
The adult entrance fee on Sunday is R200, with pensioners (over 65s) qualifying for a 50% discount on Sunday.
Youth Weekender passes are R250 and Adults R500.
The WOW experience is included in the entrance fee, as are the live performances by some of South Africa’s favourite artists on the giant ECPTA stage.
Don’t miss the weekend of live music
Over 30 national stars will be on the giant ECPTA main stage over the weekend of June 27 to June 29 at the SPAR Kirkwood Wildsfees.
Headlining the Friday line-up is Spoegwolf, who will follow Die Piesangskille, Droomsindroom, Fatman, Bibi, Jennifer Zamudio and GQ Ruan van der Kuil.
Saturday’s galaxy of stars includes Bernice West, Rubber Duc, Eloff, and Ruhan du Toit, with Irene-Louise van Wyk, Refentse, Jakkie Louw, Danny Smoke, Jan Jan Jan, and Ruhan du Toit and Kurt Darren as the headline acts.
Sunday is more laid back, with Wynand and Cheree, Keanan Eksteen, Ivan Roux, Manie Jackson, and Blackbyrd as the headline act, according to festival director Jenni Honsbein.
Now in its 23rd year, the SPAR Kirkwood Wildsfees is one of the biggest family festivals in the country.
In addition to the live performances, there are over 300 specialist stalls, working dog and horse displays in the MTN Arena, pony rides, new vehicles, agriculture and outdoor expos; and the Walk on the Wildside experience, which will be a highlight of the festival for many.
For thrill seekers, there is a Family Play Park, while children and adults alike will be able to take photos with cosplayers in costumes of some of their favourite action characters.
All the experiences and the live shows are included in the entrance ticket.
The gates open at 09:00, with the performances on the giant main stage ending at 23:00.
Remember: new venue
A reminder that the 2025 SPAR Kirkwood Wildsfees will be held on the grounds of The Co-op in Kirkwood, very near to where it was hosted.
The address is The Co-op Kirkwood, 11375 Main Street, Kirkwood.
The GPS coordinates are 33°23’59″S 25°26’15″E.
It is just over the railway crossing at the intersection of Whytes Road, which leads down to Kirkwood High School.
The annual Kirkwood Wildlife Game Auction will continue to be held at the Mayogi Bomas on Friday, June 27.
