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Cape Town and Western Cape
January
Cape Minstrels Street Carnival, Cape Town
J&B Metropolitan Stakes (Horse-racing), Cape Town
February
Up the Creek (Music Festival), Cape Town
First National Bank Vita Dance Umbrella, Cape Town
March
Argus Pick n Pay Cycle Tour, Cape Town
North Sea Jazz Festival, Cape Town
April
National Cheese Festival, Cape Town
Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon (road running), Cape Town
Nederburg Wine Auction, Paarl
Klein Karoo Arts Festival, Oudtshoorn.
May
MasterCard Cape Gourmet Food Festival, Cape Town
South Africa promotes its acclaimed restaurant industry at the Cape Gourmet Festival. The event goes on for two weeks at venues all over the city and incorporates the four-day Good Food and Wine Show, held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre.
Cape Town Waterfront Wine Festival.
The Cape Times V&A Waterfront Wine Festival features over 90 of the Capes top wine estates, producers and wineries who will present more than 350 wines for tasting. Boutique cheese manufacturers also exhibit their best cheeses for tasting and sale.
The Pink Loerie Mardi Gras, Knysna,
Four days of parties, exhibitions and performing arts, expect glitz, glamour and feathers. Founded in 2000, its arrival heralded a step forward for gay visibility in South Africa.
June
Kirstenbosch Winter Music Concerts (June August), Cape Town
Whale spotting (June November), Hermanus
July
Control Instruments Berg River Marathon (road running), Paarl
Knysna Oyster Festival, (cycling race and marathon), Knysna.
Knysna is renowned for its oysters. Found in the protected lagoon, which spreads out above the town, the opportunity to taste the oysters is a delicious reason to visit this festival.
August
Cape Times Waterfront Wine Festival, Cape Town
Oppiekoppie (3 day rock music festival), Worcester
September
Breede River K2 Canoe Marathon, Roberston
Whale Festival/Food & Wine Festival/ Wild Flower, Hermanus.
After whale spotting from the cliff-top walk and wandering through the wild flowers, you can enjoy the performing artists. These include stand-up comics, actors and musicians who gather for the event, along with local visual artists who use the occasion to exhibit their work.
Nederburg Arts Festival, Knysna.
The 10-day Nederburg Arts Festival celebrates the beautiful natural environment of Knysna with various eco-outings, demonstrations of flower arranging and floral art and, as well as offering, good food and wine.
Seafood Festival, Plettenberg Bay
One City Festival (Bi-annual event), Cape Town
Stellenbosch Festival, Stellenbosch,
is dominated by classical music, but it also includes more light-hearted weekend street festivals, as well as whacky street theatre. If you are less of a music enthusiast, theres always the wine to taste.
October
Food & Wine Festival, Stellenbosch
Flower Festival, Tulbagh
November
Spier Arts Festival, Stellenbosch
December
Kirstenbosch Summer Concerts (December April), Cape Town
Eastern Cape
January
Mercedes Benz South African Open Golf Championship, East London
February
Daily Dispatch Cycle Tour, East London
Buffalo Regatta, East London
Surfers Marathon (Beach and road running), East London
June
Waveski World Championship, Port Elizabeth and Jeffreys Bay
July
Standard Bank National Arts Festival, held in the picturesque University town of Grahamstown. Second in size only to the famous Edinburgh Festival in Scotland, this is the biggest, the best and the oldest arts festival in South Africa. Thousands of culture vultures descend on Grahamstown for two weeks of theatre, dance, music, visual arts as well as a great flea market.
Washie 100 Mile (road running), Port Alfred East London
September
The Great Train Race (man takes on the Apple Express steam train), Port Elizabeth to Loerie
Hogsback Arts Festival, The Hogsback. The many artists who have retreated to this idyllic mountain hideaway in the Eastern Cape come together every year for this weeklong festival. The festival consists more of workshops than exhibitions or performances.
Kwazulu-Natal
January
Dusi Canoe Marathon, Camps Drift to Durban
February
Midmar Mile (Swimming), Midmar Dam
First National Bank Vita Dance Umbrella, Durban
April - May
Royal Show (Agriculture), Pietermaritzburg, Established in 1851, the Royal Show is the single largest event in KwaZulu-Natal and is held over a ten-day period in May. The event attracts around a quarter of a million visitors annually.
June
Comrades Marathon (running), Pietermaritzburg to Durban, The Comrades Marathon is a world renowned race that meanders through the rolling valley of a thousand hills in Natal, South Africa. It is a gruelling 89km (56 mile) marathon - alternately run between Durban to Pietermaritzburg (PMB) - with challenging climbs and never-ending descents as the road winds through the hills
July
Rothmans July Handicap (horse racing), Durban, First held in July 1897, the Durban July is one of the most talked about and attended social gatherings amongst South African racing fans and the premier race for thoroughbreds. With over R1.5 million at the stake, the race which is held at the Greyville Racecourse, is the one race everyone has a flutter on!
Mr Price Pro International Surfing Championships, Durban, The worlds leading surfers gather on Durbans North Beach for the Mr Price Pro, one of the top events on the WQS (World Qualifying Series) Mens schedule of the ASP World Tour.
September
King Shaka Day Celebrations, Stanger & Eshowe
The Reed Dance, Nongoma
Annual MOTH Battlefield Walk, Dundee
Awesome Africa Music Festival, Shongweni
Natal Witness Hilton Drama Festival, This pleasantly sleepy town near Pietermaritzburg is a surprising place to see some of the finest drama in South Africa. The organisers scour the Standard Bank Festival and return with the very best. Its a lot less hectic than the more popular, similar festival held in Grahamstown.
October
Natal Witness Garden Show, Durban
December
National Zulu Dance Competition, Estcourt
Free State
March
Bloemfontein Agricultural Show, Bloemfontein
April
Rustlers Valley Rock Festival, Rustlers Valley
May
National Hot-air Ballooning Championship, Bethlehem
July
International Horse Endurance Race, Fauresmith
October
Rose Festival, Bloemfontein
Macufe Festival (Art & Culture), Bloemfontein
November
Cherry Festival, Ficksburg
Gauteng
January
Unisa International Music Competition, Pretoria
The 94.2 Traffic Classic (Cycling Race), Centurion
February
PGA Golf Tournament, Johannesburg
First National Bank Vita Dance Umbrella, Johannesburg
March
The Administrators Cup (horse racing), Johannesburg
The Windybrow Arts Festival, Johannesburg
April
The Rand Easter Show (Trade and Consumer Fair), Johannesburg
August
Pretoria International Show (Trade and Consumer Fair), Pretoria, Established in 1939, Pretoria Show celebrated its 65th packed programme in 2004 in the re-titled Tshwane Events Centre (formerly the Pretoria Showgrounds). The regions biggest agricultural show, the 12 days are packed with family entertainment (including an amusement park) and music.
September
Arts Alive Festival, Johannesburg. This festival promotes visual art, drama and dance but the emphasis is on superbly rendered contemporary music. Arts Alive, held at the Newtown Cultural Precinct, is just one of the projects attempting to revitalise the central part of Johannesburg.
Johannesburg Pride, The original and largest South African Gay and Lesbian Pride celebration, Johannesburg Pride offers a week of activities leading up to the final Saturdays Pride March.
October
Show Jumping Derby of South Africa, Johannesburg
German Beer Festival, Pretoria
Lanseria Air Show, Pretoria
November
National Choir Festival, Johannesburg
Mpumalanga
February
Rapport Cycle Tour, Nelspruit
March
Long Tom Pass Marathon (road running), Nelspruit
May
Jock of the Bushveld Golf Tournament, Nelspruit
August
Lowveld Agricultural Show, Nelspruit
September
Lowveld Flower Show, Nelspruit
November
SA National Gold-Panning Championship, Pilgrims Rest
Northern Cape
August
Flower Festival (August September), Garies
September
Gariep Arts Festival, Kimberly
October
Namaqualand Flower Show, Springbok Northern Province
January
Tea Marathon (road running), Tzaneen
February
Classic Golf Tournament, Warmbaths | 
