One of South Africa’s longest running festivals, the Franschhoek Bastille Festival, recently came back to the town, signalling a return to normalcy and a celebration of the town’s French heritage.
This is according to Siegfried Schäfer, editor of the Franschhoek Tatler.
The festival was hosted on 16 and 17 July, according to Ruth McCourt, chief executive officer of Franschhoek Wine Valley, via email correspondence with MatieMedia.
There were 2 000 tickets sold over the course of the weekend for wine coupons, while the rest of Franschhoek’s Main Road was open to visitors for street food and entertainment, stated McCourt. Over 10 000 people were in attendance at this year’s festival, she stated.
Ché Venter and Leon Claassen attended this year’s Franschhoek Bastille Festival. PHOTO: Bianke Neethling
French roots
The Bastille Festival started as a winter market for locals during midwinter but eventually “got a French makeover”, Schäfer explained. “When it was first staged, nobody would have foreseen that it would become what it is today.”
“With its French Huguenot heritage, [Franschhoek] has a French quality to it, be it in food, wine, names – both people and places – or other aspects of culture,” stated Schäfer. “This sets it apart from other parts of South Africa and explains the affinity for all things French.”
This year’s festival saw a return to its roots, as, unlike in previous years, there was not a big event at the Huguenot Monument, explained Schäfer. Rather, “the fun [was] spread along the main road instead, with hubs at Franschhoek Square and Franschhoek Cellar”, he stated.
“Covid stopped Bastille for two years and it was important to have one of our top festivals take place in a new format,” stated McCourt.
There were dedicated taxis and a train at the event to take attendees from one venue to the next, according to Andrea Kamanga, one of the drivers at the event.
Andrea Kamanga was one of the taxi drivers at this year’s Franschhoek Bastille Festival. The taxis were used to transport attendees from one wine farm in the town to the next, he explained. PHOTO: Bianke Neethling
Bon voyage
A benefit of the festival is that it draws tourists to Franschhoek in what would otherwise be an off-season, according to Schäfer. “As tourism is one of the major employment creators in the valley, winter events help to make tourism jobs more sustainable,” he explained.
Attendees were encouraged to dress in blue, white and red or don other French-inspired clothing items.
Ché Venter attended this year’s festival for the first time in five years. The festival allowed her to explore her love of the French lifestyle, cuisine and culture, she stated.
Altus le Roux (left), Annerica Venter (middle) and Lunell Greyling (right) attended this year’s Franschhoek Bastille Festival on 16 July. Before the event started, Venter was most excited about the wine and food the festival would offer, she stated. PHOTO: Bianke Neethling