Barrydale in Bloom 2025

BARRYDALE IN BLOOM 2025

ABOUT

Join us for a fun and exciting Klein Karoo weekend getaway from 11 - 16 November during Barrydale's annual charity fundraising event where the community comes together to showcase its diverse gardens to raise money for Barrydale Hospice.

WHERE

The main festivities take place at Karoolkie Cellar in the center of town. This is where the Gala Dinner will be on Friday evening as well as the festival market, tea garden and an information table on Saturday and Sunday. On the same property the Karoolkie Guest House will be the venue for talks and workshops.

COME EARLY

Make your visit to this beautiful town longer and attend some of the workshops during the week prior to the festival! Our famous Magpie Art Collection will host a workshop over three afternoons (11 - 13 Nov) on how to make flowers from recycled plastic bottles. And our beloved local chef Michelle Berry will do a cooking demonstration on Tuesday morning (11 Nov). Friday morning will start with a Land Art Workshop with land artist Janet Botes in the old Caravan Park next to the Huis River that runs through our village. Art lovers can visit local artists at their open studios. The Barrydale Cycle Loop can also be explored. Make the most of all our locally crafted libations - book tastings at Joubert-Tradauw Vineyards, Metanoia Gin Distillery, Joseph Barry Brandy Distillery, or Maker's Brew craft beer.

KIDS PLAY POD

A FIRST this year will be a Kids Play Pod in Karoolkie gardens. Kids (aged 5 - 12) can immerse themselves in nature-themed activities. Parents can have peace of mind and leave their kids from 9:00 to 15:00 on Saturday. Buy a separate ticket for this magical offering.

HIGHLIGHTS

Our main speaker this year is award-winning South African land artist Strijdom van der Merwe. He will talk about the land art movement, the creative process of creating a work, documenting it, and eventually walking away and leaving it behind. He will explain how this movement contributes visually to the fight against global warming.

* Do not miss the matinee shows (13, 14, 15 Nov) of Sculpting This Earth in the Belanti bioscope at the Karoo Art Hotel. This documentary by award-winning director Victor van Aswegen, shows Strijdom over four consecutive seasons as he travels to remote southern African locations to make land art works in a striking range of spectacular natural settings. Shot over more than a year, from December 2020 to April 2022, it is the world's first feature documentary about land art from the southern hemisphere.

TUIS/HOME editor Wicus Pretorius will join us for the weekend! Meet him and his dog on one of the hikes over the weekend.

WEEKEND

The festival kicks off with a Long Table Gala Dinner and auction on Friday evening. One of the vibrant painting of local artist Michelle Berry, In A Field of Fun & Fantasy, is used in this year's Barrydale in Bloom design and will be auctioned after the dinner. A full programme on Saturday and Sunday includes a visit to 20 diverse gardens in Barrydale and Smitsville, a variety of hikes and runs (furry friends welcome), a bustling festival market and tea garden, workshops, art exhibitions, champagne at Die Langhuis, brunch at Kamala Karoo Sanctuary, and talks by gardening specialists.

Read the full programme on our website www.barrydaleinbloom.com and see what we are up to on our instagram @barrydaleinbloom

WEEKEND TICKET

The full weekend ticket of R550 includes the Long Table Gala Dinner, and Map Booklet with the programme and map to all the participating gardens, art studios and galleries, as well as entrance to all the talks.

You can buy just a dinner ticket for R450, or just the map booklet for R150. You do need the map booklet to enter all the participating gardens and to attend any or all of the talks.

Purchase your tickets for workshops, champagne and canapés, and the Sunday brunch separately.

PROGRAMME