Celebrating good old-fashioned fun and an abundance of natural, outdoor activities, the annual Sedgefield Slow Festival has become a much-anticipated event on the Garden Route calendar.
How it started
It all started more than a decade ago with a collaboration of local residents Jean Wright from Scarab Market, Di Young and Amanda Dixon from Tumbleweed Events. They wanted to put Sedgefield on the map as a destination and to showcase the natural beauty of the town, beyond its rather unattractive façade viewed from the N2 highway. Events were designed to reveal its incredible beaches (link to Knysna’s top beaches) and picturesque lagoon, and are family-focused and outdoor orientated.
Growing and evolving
The festival has grown from strength to strength and while many of the original events are still on the annual calendar (including the tough 30km Goukamma Traverse Trail Run and the Doggiewalk), a host of other fun events have been added. The Village Green is the hub of the festival and is where much of the action takes place. Several weeks before the festival kicks off, the town is adorned in swathes of orange, the festival’s selected colour, and local businesses light-heartedly compete against one another to win the coveted prize as the ‘best dressed’ shop.
A festival with a heart
The Festival is holistic in its approach and appeal, because apart from showcasing the wonders of Sedgefield, it also serves as an important fund-raiser, with proceeds generated from each event directed towards local charities. Since its inception, the festival organising has changed hands and currently is being managed by the Sedgefield Lions.