July events in Cape Town and surrounds

Warm up the winter with great food, fashion, wine and the French

With the winter solstice (21 June 2012) behind us the nights will get shorter, but the weather will, unfortunately, still get wetter. Nonetheless, Cape Town still has a smorgasbord of hot and happening events this July to keep you entertained and cabin-fever free.  Whether you’re banking on having a stylish time at the fashion event of the year (Cape Town Fashion Week) or whether you’d rather exchange haute couture for culinary prowess (Knysna Oyster Festival, Delheim Mushroom Week and Bastille Day), there’s surely something on the cards worthy of a calendar mark.

July events in Cape Town and beyond

Delheim Mushroom Week (2 – 8 July)  

For two days (Monday, 2 and Tuesday, 3 July 2012) guests at the Garden restaurant on the Delheim Wine Estate in Stellenbosch can rustle up their own mushrooms. Under the tutelage of Nora Sperling-Thiel and Adriaan Smit of the South African Gourmet Mushroom Academy participants will get the opportunity to head into the secret Delheim forest and forage galore. After working up a good appetite, foragers can settle down for a range of wonderfully wild mushroom dishes. Set menus are available for the less adventurous from Wednesday, 4 to Sunday, 8 July 2012 at the Garden restaurant.

Disney on Ice South Africa (6 – 10 July)

Disney on Ice is skating onto SA soil (ice) for the first time in history to entertain kiddies and big kids alike during school holidays (from Friday, 6 to Tuesday 10 July 2012). Whisking audiences off on an enchanting journey, The Worlds of Fantasy tour will transport audiences to Tinker Bell’s mystical land of Pixie Hollow, Andy’s Toy Story 3 bedroom, Cars’ racetrack and the underwater kingdom of Ariel and friends.

The Pick n Pay Knysna Oyster Festival (6 – 15 July) 

Roughly 5 hours from Cape Town, Knysna along the Garden Route, is their annual ten-day aphrodisiac affair. The Pick ‘n Pay Knysna Oyster Festival is happening from Friday, 6 to Sunday, 15 July 2012. Aside from the mollusk eating and champagne drinking, this family-friendly festival offers activities for kiddies and adults (big kiddies) alike.

Chamber Music Festival in Stellenbosch (6 – 15 July)

The Chamber Music Festival takes over Stellenbosch with renowned international artists teaming up with young South Africans to showcase their talents at this classical music event.  Whether you’re a budding Mozart or a classical music fundi this festival is sure to quench your cultural thirst.

Franschhoek Bastille Day Festival (14 – 15 July)

The centuries-old celebration of Bastille Day, France’s Independence Day, is painting Franschhoek red, white and blue on Saturday, 14 and Sunday, 15 July 2012. This quaint village, aptly called the French corner, is banishing the July chill with a feast of good food, great wine and beguiling entertainment.

Manchester United and Ajax Cape Town (21 July)

Manchester United (Man United) are painting the Mother City red this July in a pre-season friendly against Ajax Cape Town on Saturday, 21 July 2012. Not only will ardent footie fans get to witness the clash between the Red Devils (Man United) and the Urban Warriors (Ajax,) but the city of Cape Town, reportedly, are going to try to break the Guinness Book of World Records benchmark for the number of people singing collectively in one place by urging a packed out stadium to sing “Happy Birthday” to South Africa’s first ANC president, Nelson Mandela.

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Cape Town (25 – 28 July)

Mercedes-Benz and African Fashion International (AFI) bring fashion week to Cape Town for the tenth year. With a theme of “Icons”, the show acts as a platform for top-notch South African designers to unveil their spring and summer collections. It comes as no surprise that fashion notables like Hip Hop, Habits by Jenny le Roux, Rosenwerth and guru to the stylish, Gavin Rajah, are just a few of the big names to be showcasing at this year’s extravaganza.

Spier Winelands Bridal Fair (28 – 29 July)

Spier Wine Estate is opening its doors for the Winelands Bridal Fair from Saturday, 28 July to Sunday, 29 July 2012. This expo is perfect for anyone who is organising a special event, from matric-farewells, big birthdays, office parties to weddings and engagements. If fashions shows and table settings are not your thing, then have settle down with a glass of wine at this picturesque wine estate.

PLEASE NOTE: All dates are subject to change.

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Check out our comprehensive list of winter warming specials and restaurants with fireplaces. If you really insist on hibernating, we’ve rounded up a list of things to do indoors and online shops to get all the conveniences of life delivered to your door.

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These are only a few of the happenings in Cape Town and surrounds for the month of July, so be sure to check out our Cape Town Events Calendar and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook, join our Google+ circle and check out our Pinterest boards for updates on the latest and greatest events happening in the Mother City in July.