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Mossel Bay’s annual Dias Festival promises to be bigger in 2012 than ever before.

“The coordination of the Festival has been taken under the wing of the Municipality of Mossel Bay and a committee chaired by local businessman Bertu Nel, who has deep experience of organising events,” said Mossel Bay Tourism’s Marcia Holm.

“The local community has come on board with huge enthusiasm, and, in fact, we’ve already had a few ‘practice runs’ – like the Downhill Dash in September, which was aimed at skate boarders and soap-box car racers, and was seen as a practice run for the ‘actual’ event, which will take place during the Dias Festival,” she said.

Mossel Bay Municipality spokesperson Harry Hill said that the Festival will run from the 3rd to the 5th of February, 2012, and will include sports as well as cultural and community activities.

He said that events on the cards include an air show, a motor sport gymkhana, displays by the NSRI and the SA Police, food and curio stalls at a Festival Arena (which will be set up at the seaside in the Santos Caravan Park), a fun triathlon, yacht racing, an angling competition, a pet walkathon, a cycle race, an adventure trail, squash and golf tournaments, a gospel service in the Harry Giddey Park, a talent show, a schools touch rugby tournament on Santos Beach, and much more.

“As part of its overall strategy to revitalise the area, the Mossel Bay Municipality has identified the need for festivals and events to draw more feet to the historic central business district,” said the town’s Municipal Manager, Dr Michele Gratz. “We have therefore decided to organise the Dias Festival in 2012, and we’ll also be working on a sports festival for October 2012.

“It is envisaged that the latter will become the town’s main annual festival.

“In the meantime, the support of the local community, both in spreading the word about the Dias Festival, and in helping to organise it, is very important, and I appeal to the everyone to put their full weight behind the event,” she said.

“The 3rd of February is a significant date in our history, because it was on that day in 1488 that Bartolomeu Dias and his crew became the first Europeans to land on South African soil,” said Ms. Holm. “And, since the Dias Museum Complex is one of Mossel Bay’s biggest tourism attractions, the people of the town are planning to celebrate in style next year.

“We hope you’ll be there.”

More information:

Dias Festival 2012, Mossel Bay
ENDS