From the news desk

Organisers hoping for bigger Boland Fest in 2015

Share this article

Following the enormous success of last year’s event, organizers of the Boland Summer Festival are hoping the 2015 edition will yield even greater support from those in the Paarl, as well as greater Cape Town communities. The popular event is held on an annual basis by the Paarl Muslim Jamaah (PMJ) and once again takes place at the Dal Josaphat Stadium over the weekend of the 27th to 29th March 2015.

The festival will feature range of entertainment, from fun rides to food and shopping stalls, tea gardens and live performances, as well as various sporting events sure to keep festival goers thoroughly entertained throughout the weekend.

PMJ chairperson, Moutie Richards said the festival continued to remain strong 16 years since its inception. He had special thanks to those who made attending the event an annual fixture, stressing that without their commitment the festival would likely not be such a success.

“We can say that last year’s event was the most successful summer festival that we’ve ever had. Alghamdullilah it’s the support that we get from our local people in Paarl, the PMJ’s members that year after year help us to make a success of the festival,” he stated.

The Summer Festival holds a special significance to the PMJ, as it serves as a major source of income to provide for the upkeep of mosques in the community, many of which are dependent on the MPJ for funds. In addition, it also helps the body provide for several other Jamaah khanas, madaris, and soup kitchens in and around the Paarl area.

“We are very proud of the unity that we have, because we have one Jamaah, and we have almost 1000 families that make up the PMJ. We only have one imam, one committee, and we have one Jumuah that we have every Friday. We love that unity,” he said, noting that the growth of the Muslim community in the Boland was such that more funds were required to cater to their needs.

A major entertainment feature over the past two years has been the introduction of car and drifting shows throughout the duration of the festival. The convener heading the motorsport shows, Sieraaj Williams, said they were eager to use the opportunity to promote the sport of drifting in a positive light.

“What we want to do with this being our second year with the PMJ is obviously help them grow the event, by providing more entertainment and more stuff to see,” he stated, adding that they were hoping to promote a ‘safe’ version of the sport.

For those hoping to travel from the great Cape Town area, transport will be provided in the form of a bus shuttle service. Tickets for the trip will cost R80 for adults and R40 for children under 12.

“These prices include breakfast on the Sunday morning when the busses come in,” noted festival convener for transport, Ridha Jappie.

Specific contacts have been arranged in different areas across the City, from which festival goers can arrange transport:

Belhar – 076 317 0586

Bonteheuwel/Heideveld – 021 695 5428

Bo Kaap/ Woodstock – 021 422 1192

Mitchells Plain and surrounding areas – 083 366 5299

Retreat/Wynberg/Lotus River etc – 072 407 9339

Kensington/Maitland/Salt River – 083 480 4313

Any further transport enquiries can be made to Jappie directly at 082 403 4818. Stall applications officially closed on the 15th March.

Entry to the festival costs R8 for children under 12, R10 for pensioners, and R15 for adults. Those seeking to park inside the venue will be charged R20 per vehicle.

The Boland Summer Festival 2015 takes place from the 27th to the 29th March at the Dal Josaphat Stadium, Paarl. VOC (Mubeen Banderker)


Share this article

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

WhatsApp WhatsApp us
Wait a sec, saving restore vars.