Festive entertainment galore in Joburg
30 November 2016
Are you looking for something to do in Johannesburg over the festive season but do not want to break the bank to make the dream come true?
The City of Johannesburg has put together exciting and action-packed activities to keep you and your family entertained throughout the holiday season.
Almost every day of the week in Johannesburg presents a choice of markets where one can shop for almost everything - from arts and crafts to hipster fashion, and from gourmet food and second-hand books to local craft beer.
One of the places to be these holidays is the Bryanston Organic & Natural Market. It is not only an ideal attraction for leisurely Christmas shopping in a peaceful festive environment, but it also gives children the opportunity to make their own festive season gifts by taking part in activities such as ceramic painting, T-shirt painting, candle making, wood painting and stone crafting.
Every Tuesday evening, the market is enveloped by the sparkle of festive lights and trimmings and offers a tempting array of uniquely hand-crafted gifts and Christmas decorations.
If you want to see some of the places that make Johannesburg tick, then the red City Sightseeing Tour Bus is your best bet. The bus gives families a day packed with visits to some of Johannesburg’s iconic places to learn about the rich history of the City of Gold at affordable prices. The bus stops at places such as Ghandi Square, James Hall Transport Museum, Wits Origins Centre, Apartheid Museum and Constitution Hill.
On Sunday December 4, the James Hall Transport Museum will host an “open day” to celebrate transport heritage. This will afford visitors the opportunity to view the large collection of land transport vehicles available at the museum.
You can enjoy rides on some of the exhibits, eat good food and enjoy good company. The model tramway on the first floor of the museum will also be operational. There will be old motoring magazines on sale for R5 each. All proceeds go to the Friends of the Museum, which raises funds for the museum.
The Walter Sisulu Botanical Gardens in Emmarentia - one of South Africa’s eight botanical gardens - is the perfect spot for picnics. For only R40 a person, you can snack on sarmies beneath the waterfall, walk through the succulent rocket and fern garden or look down on the sprawling lawns from the top of the waterfall.
The Zoo Lake pool is the perfect place to take the little ones to cool off. The beautifully maintained and fresh-looking place is used as a base to celebrate birthdays and other milestones.
Whether it’s comedy or a musical that you want, the Joburg City Theatres Company has just what you need to keep the whole family entertained. Janice Honeyman’s Robin Hood And The Babes is on show at the Joburg Theatre until December 30.
The Soweto Theatre will host the Manhattan Brothers show by musical group Complete from December 8 to December 18. The Manhattan Brothers is a renowned South African acapella singing group that had a US Billboard pop chart hit, Lovely Lies, in the 1950s.
The Big Bad Musical will be on show from December 15 to December 23 at the Roodepoort Theatre.