POLOKWANE ALIVE A TASTE OF TRADITION, A FEAST OF FUN

The Polokwane Food, Arts and Culture Fair (FACF), Polokwane Alive, is an opportunity for people to discover and embrace the artistic potential that our City, Province and Country have to offer. It is also an occasion for artists of various genres to showcase their artistic impressions of our everyday life.

The FACF is about exploring, experiencing, being exposed to and celebrating the indigenous foodstuffs and other expressions of culture of the people of the city, whether it is music, dance, visual arts etc.

IT’S ABOUT YOU AND ME AND 2010 – WE ARE ALIVE.

Limpopo, South Africa’s FOOD Basket

Limpopo Province is the Bread and Fruit Basket of South Africa, producing up to 60% of all fruit, vegetables maize meal, wheat and cotton. Endowed with abundant agricultural resources, Limpopo is one of the country's prime agricultural regions noted for the production of livestock, fruits and vegetables, cereals and tea.

The province produces about 75% of South Africa's mangoes, 65% of its papayas, 36% of its tea, 25% of its citrus, bananas, and litchis, 60% of its avocados, 60% of its tomatoes, 285 000 tons of potatoes and 35% of its oranges.

The Colourful People

Polokwane is a cosmopolitan and exciting city where White, Indian, Coloured and Black communities are closely intertwined and live amongst each other in harmony.  It is a city showing phenomenal growth, the highest in South Africa, and with it the cultural diversity constantly changes.  With a population of almost 510 thousand, this remarkable metropolis has constantly shown a growth of over 4% per annum in the last few years.

The Vision

The vision of the FACF is to manage an annual event that will amongst others in the long term achieve the following:

• Showcase the Agricultural industry together with cultivating arts of Polokwane and Limpopo.
• Position and profile City of Polokwane as a gastronomic and culturally rich destination.
• Inform and educate people of Polokwane and Limpopo about agricultural sector and cultivating arts.
• Position the destination Polokwane and Limpopo to both domestic and international tourists.
• Increase the number of tourists to destination during the low season.

Polokwane Is Truly Alive

Thousands of Polokwane residents flocked to join in the celebration of local culture, to feast on local fare and to enjoy the talents of outstanding artists at Polokwane Alive.  The food, arts and cultural festival, which was hosted by the City of Polokwane, proved that the city is alive indeed.

The rain, which got the event off to a wet start, did little to thwart the determination of exhibitors, vendors and participants to showcase the city's phenomenal potential.  Instead, they expressed their joy at the rains which introduced the Summer season and signified the start of new growth.

The sun came out on Saturday to light up the Civic Gardens and joined in the festivities as Masterchefs showed their skills in demonstration kitchen, while Eric Macheru entertained budding soccer kings and as the stage rocked to musicians, dancers and poets in the talent expo. The gardens saw many visitors winding their way through the stalls where baskets, beads, paintings and the finest of local works were on display.  Samoosas, curry, pap and stew staved off the hunger pangs as guests took in the culinary delights of local caterers.

Ashifa Shabba and our local entertainers, DJ Problem Child, Sido and Capital Movement ensured that those who appreciated talen, were entertained late into the afternoon.

Maroola Lounge hosted the Polokwane Alive Afterparty to mark and celebrate the end of a triumphant talent show, featuring DJ Jaws and Capricorn FM's DJ Complexion.

Assured of an equally colourful programme on Sunday, many guests returned to join hands with new visitors and enjoy a fabulous fashion extravaganza.  Models strutted their stuff in outfits created by Polokwane designers and the outfits and gowns, many of which were being seen for the first time, were a treat to behold.

Ntsikwane, the new up and coming diva who hails from Solomondale and Queen Sesoko, former Abashante lead singer and well known in South Africa for her fine voice and entertaining personality, took to the stage and set local residents into cheering and rocking with their sensational new numbers.  They created musical magic which entranced young and old alike.

Dice and Scarf, who won the “Battle of the Bands” the evening before and the Seshego wonders, Step 1 Jazz Band captivated the audience an ensured that a weekend of spectacular events closed off on a high note.

Polokwane Alive was a taste of local tradition and a feast of fun!!